Chemical Admixtures :

Essential Components of Modern Concrete

Nelu Spiratos
Handy Chemicals Ltd.
120 boul. de l'Industrie
Candiac, Qc, Canada
J5R 1J2

CANMET / ACI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

ADVANCES IN CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Dubai, November 19-20, 2008

Scope of Presentation

• Trends in the use of concrete chemical admixtures

• Impact of admixtures towards concrete QUALITY
• Contributions of admixtures to concrete TECHNOLOGY
• Admixtures contributions to concrete SUSTAINABILITY
• Admixtures challenges ahead
• Conclusion

1
Trends in Consumption of Chemical Admixtures
3000
World

2500
North
Americ a

2000 As ia/P ac ific

Million US $

1500

1000

500

0
1992 1996 2001 2006 2011
Y ear
Freedonia 3

Admixture Consumption by Type (World)

3000

Chemical
2500 Additive
Demand

2000 Water
Million US$

Reducers

1500
Set
Controllers

1000
Colorants,
Air
500 Entrainers &
Other

0
1992 1996 2001 2006 2011
Year
Freedonia 4

2
 Evolution of Chemical Admixtures

Development of admixtures according to :

• Demands on concrete material properties
• Changes in binder composition
• Evolution in construction technologies

Demands on Concrete Material Properties

3
 Demands on Concrete Properties

• Higher moduli (compressive, tensile, flexural)

• Greater freeze-thaw resistance
• Improved durability
• Minimum shrinkage cracking
• Minimum rebar corrosion
• No Alkali-Aggregate reaction
• Etc, …

Demands on Concrete Properties

Increasing compressive strength

Achieved through:
• Low W/C
• Effective WR
• Superplasticizers

4
Demands on Concrete Properties
Enhanced strength and durability

Achieved through:
• Low porosity
• Fine pore structure

Using:
• Low w/c
• SCM‟s (SF, FA)
• Superplasticizers
9

Demands on Concrete Properties

Greater improving freeze-thaw resistance

Achieved through:
• Network of fine air voids

Using:
• Air-entraining agents

10

5
 Demands on Concrete Properties
Minimizing shrinkage-cracking

Reduce drying
shrinkage cracking
through SRA‟s
(shrinkage reducing
admixtures)

11

Demands on Concrete Properties

Preventing rebar corrosion

By reducing ingress of chemical species

Achieved through:
• Low porosity
• Fine pore structure
• And new admixtures :
corrosion inhibitors

12

6
 Demands on Concrete Properties
Minimize alkali-aggregate reactions

10 microns

Expansive reaction at Swelling and microcracking

aggregate-matrix interface

Mitigate with Lithium-based admixtures

13

Changes in Binder Composition

14

7
 Changes in Binder Composition

Due to incorporation of :
• Different forms of Ca-sulfate
• Fillers (e.g., limestone)

• Supplementing cementitious materials (e.g.,

natural pozzolans, SF, FA, BFS, calcined clays)
• Others

….. Affecting performance of all admixtures,

…. sometimes requiring new admixtures
15

Changes in Binder Composition:

Upon incorporation of Fly Ash

Carbon particles in FA

Typical FA particles

FA-carbon interferes with air-entraining admixtures

16

8
 Changes in Binder Composition:
Air entrainment in the presence of FA-Carbon

FA/Cement + 0.05% Sacrificial Agent

Cement
%Air entrained

Cement + Fly Ash

AEA conc.

Influence of FA-carbon compensated

by new „Sacrificial‟ Admixtures 17

Evolution in Construction Technologies

18

9
Evolution in Construction Technologies
Pumpable concrete through Superplasticizers

19

Evolution in Construction Technologies

Non-segregating flowing concrete

Cohesive, self-consolidating concrete

Achieved with :
Viscosity-Enhancing
Admixtures (VEA)

20

10
 Evolution in Construction Technologies
Admixtures impact on construction technologies

Chemical Admixtures enable

• Pumpable concrete
• Self-levelling concrete
• Self-consolidating concrete
Leading to
• Increased throughput
• Reduced labour requirements
• Reduced construction time
21

Chemical Admixtures and Sustainability

of Concrete Technologies

22

11
 First-Order Contributions
Sustainability related to material properties

Concrete with higher strength Use less concrete

Concrete with greater durability Longer service life
Strength with less cement Use less cement
Strength with less water Use less water

23

Second-Order Sustainability Contributions

Related to SCM's

Incorporation of FA, BFS, SF, etc. improve

STRENGTH and DURABILITY (FIRST–ORDER gains)
+
• Beneficiation of industrial residues
• Reduction of cement consumption
• Less CO2 from cement fabrication (environment)
• Energy savings (clinker, grinding)

24

12
 Third-Order Sustainability Contributions
Related to concrete technologies

• Fluid concrete Reduced batching energy

• Pumpable concrete Reduced transportation energy
• Self-consolidation Lower placing energy (vibration)
• High workability Reduced construction times

25

Fourth Order Sustainability Contributions

Related to manufacturing of admixture

CH2

H2SO4 SO3Na
n

Secondary industrial Polynaphthalene sulfonates

materials (PNS)
26

13
 The Admixture Challenge Ahead

27

The Admixture Challenge Ahead

Resolve fundamental issues

• Understand the chemistry and mode action

of each admixture

• Design molecular structure of admixtures for

specific function (e.g. Polyacrylate esters)

28

14
 The Admixture Challenge Ahead

Predicting incompatibilities

• Cope with the variable chemistry of binders

• Avoid deleterious interactions with

components of the cement
(same with aggregate)

29

The Admixture Challenge Ahead

Ensuring performance under all conditions

• Avoid interference between admixtures

• Enhance “robustness” of admixtures with respect to

application conditions

30

15
 Conclusions

31

A First Conclusion

… the development of concrete materials

and technologies was largely supported and
driven by the timely introduction of multiple
new chemical admixtures

32

16
 A Second Conclusion

Concrete chemical admixtures:

are essential components of quality concrete

contribute directly to beneficiation of secondary

industrial materials or chemicals

are unavoidable components

of modern sustainable concrete technologies !

33

34

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