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ADMIXTURE
CHAPTER 1

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DEFINITION
A material, other than aggregates, cement, or
water, added in small quantities to the mix in
order to produce some desired modifications,
either to the physical or chemical properties
of the mix or of the hardened product.

The most common admixtures affect plasticity,

air entrainment and curing time.

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These admixtures
are often referred
to:
Accelerators
Water-reducing admixtures
Air entraining admixtures
Retarders

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ADVANTAGES OF ADMIXTURE
Water reduction in the mix
Accelerate the initial setting of concrete; to speed up the rate of

strength development at early ages.

Retard the initial setting, i.e to keep concrete workable for a longer
time for placement.
Corrosion protection
Enhance concrete workability
Reduce the segregation
Increase the strength of concrete by reducing water content
Crack control (shrinkage reduction)
Protect against freeze thaw cycles-improve durability

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TYPES OF ADMIXTURE
Plasticizers

Superplasticizers
Retarders and retarding plasticizers
Accelerators ad accelerating plasticizers
Air-entraining admixtures
Pozzolanic or mineral admixtures
Damp-proofing and waterproofing admixtures
Gas forming admixtures

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TYPES OF ADMIXTURE (contd)

Air detraining admixtures

Alkali-aggregate expansion inhibiting admixtures

Workability admixtures
Grouting admixtures
Corrosion inhibiting admixtures
Fungicidal, germicidal, insecticidal admixtures
Colouring admixture.

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Accelerators
Accelerating admixtures are added to concrete to
increase the rate of early strength development in
concrete to:
Permit earlier removal of formwork
Reduce the required period of curing
Advance the time that a structure can be placed in service

Partially compensate for the retarding effect of low temperature

during cold weather concreting.

In the emergency repair work.

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Retarding admixture
It is admixture that slows down the chemical process of hydration so
that concrete remains plastic and workable for a long time than
concrete without retarder

Retarders are used to overcome the accelerating effect of high

temperature on setting properties of concrete in hot weather
concreting.

Retarders also can overcome the difficult conditions during

transportation and placing especially for ready mixed concrete which
the concrete manufactured in central batching plant and transported
over a long distance to the job sites.

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Retarding admixture (contd)

The most commonly known retarder is calcium
sulphates.

Sugar is one of the most effective retarding agents.

At normal temperatures addition of sugar 0.05% to
0.10% have little effect on the rate of hydration, but
if the quantity is increased to 0.2%, hydration can be
retarded to such an extent that final set may not take
place for 72 hours or more.

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Plasticizers (water reducer)

Workability of fresh or plastic concrete requires more water than is needed
for hydration.

The excess water, beyond the hydration requirements, is detrimental to all

desirable properties of hardened concrete.

Plasticizers can help the difficult conditions for obtaining higher workability
without using excess of water

It can increases the mobility of the cement particles in the plastic mix,
allowing workability to be achieved at lower water contents.

The advantages are considerable in the former, concrete are stronger, and in
the latter they are workable.

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Plasticizers (water reducer) (contd)

The basic products constituting plasticizers are as follows:
Anionic surfactants such as lignosulphonates and their modifications
and derivatives, salts of sulphonates hydrocarbons

Nonionic surfactants, such as polyglycol esters, acid of hydroxylated

carboxylic acids and their modifications and derivatives

Other products, such as carbohydrates etc.

Among these, calcium, sodium and ammonium

lignosulphonates are the most used.

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Plasticizers (water reducer) (contd)

Plasticizers are used in the amount of 0.1%
to 0.4% by weight of cement.

At these doses, at constant workability the

reduction in mixing water is expected to be
of the order of 5% to 15%. This naturally
increases the strength.

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Air-Entraining Admixtures
Air-entraining admixtures are used to stabilize
microscopic air bubbles in concrete.

Proper air-entrainment, with appropriate volume and

spacing factor, will dramatically improve the
durability of concrete exposed to moisture during
cycles of freezing and thawing.

Entrained air also improves concretes resistance to

surface scaling caused by chemical deicers.

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Air-Entraining Admixtures (contd)

Air-entrained concrete contains minute air bubbles
that are distributed uniformly throughout the cement
paste.
Entrained air can be produced in concrete by use of
an air-entraining cement, by introduction of an airentraining admixture, or by a combination of both
methods.
An air-entraining cement is a portland cement with an
air-entraining addition interground with the clinker
during manufacture.
An air-entraining admixture, on the other hand is
added directly to the concrete materials either before
or during mixing.

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CONCLUSION
Admixtures

Accelerators

Functions

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

Retartders

Accelerators
waterreducing

more rapid
gain of
strength
more rapid
setting
Increase
the rate of
hydration
Reduce
curing
time

Delay setting

Increase
workability
with faster
gain of
strength

Applications

Typical
compounds
Calcium chloride,
sodium nitrite
Sodium sulphate,
sodium
aluminate,
sodium
silicate,
sodium
carbonate,
potassium,
hydroxide

Hydroxycarboxilic
acids, sugars

Mixtures of sugars
or
hydroxycarbo
xylic acids
and
lignosulphona
te

Water reducers with faster strength

development

Disadvantages

normal rate of strength

development at low
temperature
- shorter stripping times
plugging of pressure leaks
sprayed concrete
1.5% by mass of cement
normally used.
2% by mass of cement used
can reduce the setting time.
The selection of the optimum
amount should be based on
the type of cement,
temperature of concrete and
the ambient temperature.

i.

maintain workability at high

temperature
reduce rate of heat evolution
extend placing times

May promote bleeding

ii.

possible cracking due

to heat evolution
possibility of corrosion
of embedded
reinforcement

Risk of corrosion

Admixtures

Functions

Typical
compounds

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Disadvantages

Retarding waterreducing

Increase
workability
and delay
setting

Mixture of
sugars or
hydroxycarboxyl
ic acids and
lignosulphonate

Water reducers with slower the loss of

workability

Plasticizers
(water reducers)

Increase
workability

Calcium and
sodium
lignosulphonate

-higher workability with strength

unchanged
-higher strength with workability
unchanged
-less cement for same strength and
workability

i.retardation at high
dosages
ii.tendency to segregate
iii.premature stiffening
under certain conditions

Superplasticizers

Greatly
increase
workability

Sulphonate
melamine
Formaldehyde
resin
Sulphonated
naphthaleneformaldehyde
resin

-water reducers, but over a wider

range
-facilitate production of flowing
concrete

i.tendency to segregate
ii.may increase rate of loss
of workability

Air entraining

Entrainments
of air into
concrete

Wood resins,
fats,
lignosulphonate

Increase durability to frost without

increasing cement content

Careful control of air

content and mixing time
necessary