Chapter 1

Constituents of Concrete
Admixture :Introduction; Types of Admixtures; effects of
Admixtures ; uses of different types of admixtures ; local
materials as Admixtures In Nepal
Outlines Admixtures

• Introduction to Admixtures
• Reasons for using Admixtures
• Types of Admixtures
• Locally available admixtures in
Nepal
 Admixtures
• . Admixtures are those ingredients in concrete other than Portland cement, water, and

aggregates that are added to the mixture immediately before or during mixing.

• It is used to modify one or more specific properties of concrete in fresh or hardened state.

• They are aimed at providing a more economical solution and enhanced concrete properties.

• It should not affect adversely any property of concrete.

• These are not the substitute for good workmanship.

 Reasons for using Admixtures
1. To reduce the cost of concrete construction.

2. To achieve certain properties in concrete more effectively than by other means.

3. To maintain the quality of concrete during the stages of mixing, transporting, placing, and

curing in adverse weather conditions.

4. To overcome certain emergencies during concreting operations.

 Functions of Admixtures
• Increase workability without increasing water content or decrease the water content at the
same workability
• Retard or accelerate initial time of setting
• Reduce or prevent shrinkage or create slight expansion
• Modify the rate or capacity for bleeding
• Reduce segregation
• Improve pumpability
• Rate of slump loss
• Retard or reduce heat evolution during early hardening
 Functions of Admixtures
• Accelerate the rate of strength development at early ages
• Increase strength (compressive, tensile, or flexural)
• Increase durability or resistance to severe conditions of exposure, including application of
deicing salts and other chemicals
• Decrease permeability of concrete
• Control expansion caused by the reaction of alkalis with reactive aggregate constituents
• Increase bond of concrete to steel reinforcement
• Increase bond between existing and new concrete
• Improve impact and abrasion resistance
• Impart Color to the concrete
 Types of Admixtures
Chemical Admixtures Mineral Admixtures

• These admixtures have formulated chemical composition • Mineral admixtures are usually added to concrete in large
and these are used for certain proportions of concrete. quantity.
• They are mainly used to reduce the cost of concrete • Mineral admixtures are basically derived from other
construction. substances and not chemically manufactured.
• Chemical compounds are added to concrete in very small • They can improve the resistance of concrete to thermal
amounts for purposes such as entertainment of air, cracking alkali-aggregate expansion, and sulfate attack.
plasticization of fresh concrete mixtures, or comic. of • Natural Pozzolana material and industrial byproducts, such.
setting time fly ash and slag are commonly used mineral admixtures.
• Certain admixtures, such as pigments, pumping aids and • These admixtures do not have any binding property by
expansive agents are used only in extremely small quantity themselves but these are reacted with calcium hydroxide
and are usually batched by hand it, premeasured liberated on the hydration of cement to produce cementing
containers. compound with good binding properties.
• Chemical admixtures are used in the construction industry • These are added in a large amount to improve the
for building durable. strong and water-proof structure. performance of the concrete and reduce the cost of
construction.
 Chemical Admixtures
• They are water soluble compounds added primarily to control setting and early hardening of
fresh concrete or to reduce the water requirements. Chemical admixture classification is as
follows:
Chemical admixtures include:
1. Air entraining admixtures.
2. Water reducing admixtures.
3. Retarding admixtures.
4. Accelerating admixtures.
5. Specialty admixtures.
 Water Reducing Admixtures
They are used to minimize the water demand in a concrete mix , still making the concrete
workable.
In addition to increase in workability it also improves the strength of concrete, good bond
between concrete and steel, prevents cracking, segregation, honeycombing, bleeding etc.
Water reducing admixtures are also called as plasticizers and these are classified into three
types namely plasticizers, mid-range plasticizers and super plasticizers.
Normal plasticizer reduces the water demand up to 10%,
Mid-range plasticizers reduce the water demand up to 15%
super plasticizers reduce the water demand up to 30%

Example: Calcium, sodium and ammonium lignosulphonates are commonly used

plasticizers. Some of the new generation super plasticizers are acrylic polymer based,
poly carboxylate, multicarbovylatethers etc.
 Retarding Admixtures

• Retarding admixtures slow down the rate of hydration of cement in its initial stage and increase the
initial setting time of concrete. These are also called as retarders and used especially in high
temperature zones where concrete will set quickly.

• The quick setting in some situations may lead to discontinuities in structure, poor bond between the
surfaces, creates unnecessary voids in concrete etc. Retarders are useful to eliminate this type of
problems.

• Commonly used retarding admixture is calcium sulphate or gypsum. Starch, cellulose products,
common sugar, salts of acids are some other retarders.

• Most of water reducing admixtures are also acts as retarding admixtures and they are called as
retarding plasticizers.
 Accelerating Admixtures
• Accelerating admixtures are used to reduce the initial setting time of concrete. They speed up
the process of initial stage of hardening of concrete hence they are also called as accelerators.
These accelerators also improves the strength of concrete in it early stage by increasing the
rate of hydration.

• Earlier hardening of concrete is useful in several situations such as early removal of

formwork, less period of curing, emergency repair works, for constructions in low
temperature regions etc.

• Some of the accelerating admixtures are triethenolamine, calcium formate, silica fume,
calcium chloride, finely divided silica gel etc. Calcium chloride is the cheap and commonly
used accelerating admixture.
 Air Entraining Admixtures
• Air entraining admixtures are one of the most important inventions in concrete technology.
Their primary function is to increase the durability of concrete under freezing and thawing
conditions.
• When added to concrete mix, these admixtures will form millions of non-coalescing air
bubbles throughout the mix and improves the properties of concrete.

• Air entrainment in concrete also improves the workability of concrete, prevents segregation
and bleeding, lower the unit weight and modulus of elasticity of concrete, improves the
chemical resistance of concrete and reduction of cement or sand or water content in concrete
etc.

• Most used air entrainment admixtures are vinsol resin, darex, Teepol, Cheecol etc. These
admixtures are actually made of Natural wood resins, alkali salts, animal and vegetable fats
and oils etc.
 Pozzolanic Admixtures
• Pozzolanic admixtures are used to prepare dense concrete mix which is bets suitable for
water retaining structures like dams, reservoirs etc. They also reduce the heat of hydration
and thermal shrinkage.

• Best pozzolanic materials in optimum quantity gives best results and prevents or reduces
many risks such as alkali aggregate reaction, leaching, sulfate attack etc.

• Pozzolanic materials used as admixtures are either natural or artificial.

• Naturally occurring Pozzolanic materials are clay, shale, volcanic tuffs, pumicite, etc. and
artificial pozzolans available are fly ash, silica fume, blast furnace slag, rice husk ash, surkhi
etc.
 Damp proof Admixtures
• Damp proofing or water proofing admixtures are used to make the concrete structure
impermeable against water and to prevent dampness on concrete surface. In addition to water
proof property, they also acts like accelerators in early stage of concrete hardening.

• Damp proofing admixtures are available in liquid form, powder form, paste form etc. The
main constituents of these admixtures are aluminum sulfate, zinc sulfate aluminum chloride,
calcium chloride, silicate of soda etc. which are chemically active pore fillers.
 Gas Forming Admixtures
• Aluminum powder, activated carbon, hydrogen peroxide are generally used gas forming
chemical admixtures.
• When gas forming admixtures are added, it reacts with hydroxide obtained by the hydration
of cement and forms minute bubbles of hydrogen gas in the concrete.
• The range of formation of bubbles in concrete is depends upon many factors such as amount
of admixture, chemical composition of cement, temperature, fineness etc.
• The formed bubbles helps the concrete to counteract the settlement and bleeding problems.
• Gas forming admixtures are also used to prepare light weight concrete.
• For settlement and bleeding resistance purpose, small quantity of gas forming admixtures
which is generally 0.5 to 2% by weight of cement is used.
• But for making light weight concrete larger quantity generally 100 grams per bag of cement
is recommended
 Local Materials as Admixtures in Nepal
• Calcined Clay Pozzolana ( Brick dust / Burned clay dust )
• Rice Husk Ash
• Stone Dust
• Plastics ( Experimental )
THANK YOU !!!