Content

Admixtures
Definition
Types Of Admixtures
Purpose of Admixture
Chemical Admixture
Mineral Admixtures

ADMIXTURES
A material which , except in special cases, is added to
concrete mix in quantity not more
than 5% by mass of cement during mixing or an
additional mixing operation prior to the
placing of concrete for the purpose of achieving specific
modifications .

Admixtures maybe used in solid or liquid form . Liquids

are more used due to the fact that
liquid can be dispersed rapidly in uniform manner during
the mixing of concrete.

Types of Admixtures
Mineral
Admixture
Mineral admixtures (fly ash, silica fume
[SF], and slug) are usually added to
concrete in larger amounts to enhance
the workability of fresh concrete; to
improve resistance of concrete to
thermal cracking, alkali-aggregate
expansion, and sulfate attack; and to
enable a reduction in cement content.

Chemical
Admixture
Chemical admixtures are added to
concrete in very small amounts mainly
for the entrainment of air, reduction
of water or cement content,
plasticization of fresh concrete
mixtures, or control of setting time.

Purposes of AdmixtureS
To accelerate the initial setting of concrete.
To retard the initial setting .
To improve the strength of concrete .
To reduce the heat of evolution.
To improve the workability.
To inhibit the corrosion of concrete.
To increase the durability of concrete.
To increase the bond of concrete to the steel
reinforcement.
To increase the resistance to chemical attack.

Chemical
Admixtures
Air
Entrained

Accelerating

Retarding

Plasticizers

Super
Plasticizers

Air Entrainment Admixture

They are traditionally based on Abeitic acid

salts(Vinsol resin) and fatty acids.
Now a days synthetic surfactants based on olefin
sulphonates, Alkyl sulphates,
Diethanaol amines, Alcohol ethoxylates betains
are used.
Lowers the surface tension of the water and facilitate
in bubble formation.
Decreases bleeding and segregation thus the provide
resistance against freezing and thawing.
It improves workability but for every 1% of
admixture strength decreases by 5%.

Accelerating Admixture
The most commonly used accelerator is CaCl2
but it causes corrosion in reinforcement.
other accelerators are Ca(NO3)2, NaNO3,
NaCl and sea water.
It reduces initial setting time and curing time.
It is used in cold weather concreting.
Accelerators are used in large projects and fast
track construction.
The amount should not exceed by 2%.

Retarding Admixtures
This admixture delay initial setting time from 1 hour to
3 hours.
Organic: refined calcium, sodium, NH4, salts of
lignosulfonic acids, hydrocarboxylic acids and
carbohydrates
Inorganic: oxides of leads and zinc, phosphate,
magnesium salts, flourates and borates.
It is used when temperature is higher than 85o F (30o c)
It increase workability, prevent the formation of cold
joints and increase ultimate strength.

Plasticizers
They are usually based on lignosulphnates.
Hydroxylated polymers are also widely used as

plasticizers.
It reduces water cement ratio thus increase
strength without reducing workability.
It is used in hot weather concreting.
They are added from 130 to 390 ml per 100 kg.
It improves durability, provide easier placement,
control the setting time and reduce

segregation.

Super Plasticizers
There are 4 main families of super pasticizers:
1. Sulfonated melamine formaldehyde
condensates (SMF)
2. Sulfonated napthalene formaldehyde
condensates (SNF)
3. Modified lignosulfonates (MLS)
4. Polycarbxylate derivatives.
Super Plasticizers are used in hot weather for
large projects.
It reduce water requirement from 12% to 25 %.

Super Plasticizers..
It produce high strength cement .
Water cement ratio ranges from o.3 to 0.4 and
compressive strength is upto 14ooo psi (96.5
MPa)
It produce flowing cement with very high
slump in range of 7-9 inches (175 to 225 mm)

Mineral
Admixtures
Cementitious

Pozzolanic

Cementitious
These have cementing properties themselves.
For example:
Ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS)

Pozzolanic
A pozzolan is a material which, when combined
with calcium hydroxide (lime), exhibits
cementitious properties. Pozzolans are commonly
used as an addition (the technical term is
"cement extender") to Portland cement concrete
mixtures to increase the long-term strength and
other material properties of Portland cement
concrete and in some cases reduce the material
cost of concrete.
Examples are
Fly ashy
Silica Fume

Bibliography
http://www.admixtures.org.uk
http://www.basf-admixtures.com
http://www.nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/cips/15p.
pdf
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/materi
alsgrp/admixture.html
http://www.toolbase.org/TechnologyInventory/Foundations/concrete-admixtures
http://www.concrete.org/general/fE4-03.pdf