Module No. 5 ➢ Why use admixtures?

 Admixtures are used in order to:

 Reduce water required
 Improve workability of concrete
By
Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon

Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon

 Admixture is a material in concrete other than aggregate,  While deciding the use of materials as admixtures care
cement and water should be taken to ensure that:

 Used as an additional ingredient in concrete and added
before or during mixing
 Added to modify the properties of concrete so as to make
it more suitable for different situations
 Desired results are obtained by using only small
modification in the basic mix
 There is no appreciable change in the cost of basic mix
 There is no adverse effect on other properties of concrete
and desired property is imparted by the admixture used

Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon

Classification of Admixtures
 Why use admixtures?
 Admixtures may be classified as:
◦ To give special properties to fresh or hardened concrete
 Chemical Admixtures
◦ enhance durability, workability or strength characteristics  Mineral Admixtures
of mixture Mineral Admixtures
Chemical Admixtures
◦ to overcome difficult situation - hot/cold weather
concreting, pumping requirements, early strength
Water- Air Accelerators Set-
requirements, or very low w/c ratio specifications reducing entraining retarders
◦ to ensure quality of concrete during mixing, transporting,
placing and curing Fly ash GGBFS Silica fume

Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon
 Chemical Admixtures
 Chemical admixtures are added in very small amount
(less than 5% by mass of cement) for ➢Air Entraining admixtures
 entrainment of air
 Produce microscopic air bubbles throughout the concrete.
 reduction of water or cement content
 control of setting time  Entrained air bubbles:

 Improve the durability of concrete exposed to moisture

 Mineral admixtures are added in larger amount
and freeze/thaw action
 to enhance workability of fresh concrete
 Improve workability, reduce bleeding and segregation
 to improve resistance of concrete thermal cracking,
 Improve resistance to scaling from deicers and corrosive
alkali-aggregate expansion and sulphate attack
agents such as manure or silage
 to enable reduction in cement content
Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon

Chemical Admixtures Chemical Admixtures

➢Water-reducing admixtures (Plasticizers) ➢Accelerators

 Increase the workability of plastic or "fresh" concrete,
allowing it be placed more easily, with less consolidating
effort.
 Used to increase slump for pumping concrete and in hot
weather concreting to offset the increased water demand
 consist of low range, mid-range and high-range(super-
Plasticizers) types
Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon
 Accelerate the hardening or development of early strength
concrete
 Do not have any effect on the setting (stiffening) time
 the admixture is usually dissolved in water
 the most common accelerators are Calcium Chloride
(CaCl2) and sodium chloride (NaCl)
Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon

Chemical Admixtures Chemical Admixtures

➢Water-reducing admixtures (Plasticizers) ➢Accelerators

 High-range water-reducing admixtures (Superplasticizers):  Benefit: increase the resistance of concrete to erosion and
 Reduce the water content (12-25%) of a concrete abrasion
 Improves its strength and durability characteristics  improves strength development
 Increase slump to produce ‘flowing’ concrete
 CaCl2 reduces resistance to sulphate attack, increases
shrinkage and creep
 application : low temp placing, urgent repair works

Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon
 Chemical Admixtures

➢Set Retarders
 Delay the initial setting time and hardening of concrete

 offsets the effects of hot weather - allow more time for

placing and finishing
 Increase plastic shrinkage (extend plastic stage) but drying
shrinkage is unaffected
 Typical retarder is table sugar, or sucrose (C12H22O11)

Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon

Mineral Admixtures

 Used in concrete to replace part of cement or sand

 When used to replace cement called as supplementary

cementing materials
 Added in large quantities compared to chemical admixtures

Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon

Mineral Admixtures

 Fly ash: By-product of coal from electrical power plants -

Finer than cement - Consists of complex compounds of
silica, ferric oxide and alumina - Increases the strength of
concrete and decreases the heat of hydration -Reduces
alkali aggregate reaction.

 Silica fume: By-product of electric arc furnaces - Size less

than 0.1μm - Consists of non-crystalline silica - Increases
the compressive strength by 40-60%

Prepared By: Prof. Dr. Fareed Ahmed Memon