The Constructor15 Types of Admixtures Used in Concrete

Various types of admixtures are used in concrete to enhance the performance of concrete.
Concrete admixture is defined as the material other than the aggregate, water and cement added to the
concrete.

Contents:

• Types of Concrete Admixtures

o 1. Water Reducing Admixtures
o 2. Retarding Admixtures
o 3. Accelerating Admixtures
o 4. Air Entraining Concrete Admixture
o 5. Pozzolanic Admixtures
o 6. Damp-proofing Admixtures
o 7. Gas forming Admixtures
o 8. Air detraining Admixtures
o 9. Alkali Aggregate Expansion Preventing Admixtures
o 10. Anti-washout Admixtures
o 11. Grouting Admixtures
o 12. Corrosion Preventing Admixtures
o 13. Bonding Admixtures
o 14. Fungicidal, Germicidal, Insecticidal Admixtures
o 15. Coloring Admixtures

Types of Concrete Admixtures

Concrete admixtures are of different types and they are as follows:

1. Water Reducing Admixtures

2. Retarding Admixtures
3. Accelerating Admixtures
4. Air entraining concrete admixture
5. Pozzolanic Admixtures
6. Damp-proofing Admixtures
7. Gas forming Admixtures
8. Air detraining Admixtures
9. Alkali Aggregate Expansion Inhibiting Admixtures
 10. Anti-washout Admixtures
11. Grouting Admixtures
12. Corrosion Inhibiting Admixtures
13. Bonding Admixtures
14. Fungicidal, Germicidal, Insecticidal Admixtures
15. Coloring Admixtures

1. Water Reducing Admixtures

Water reducing admixtures, the name itself defining that they are used to minimize the water demand in
a concrete mix. Workability is the important property of concrete which is improved with the addition
of water but if water is added more than required the strength and durability properties of concrete gets
affected.

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% while super plasticizers
reduce the water demand up to 30%.

Calcium, sodium and ammonium lignosulphonates are commonly used plasticizers. Some of the new
generation super plasticizers are acrylic polymer based, poly carboxylate, multicarbovylatethers etc.

Fig 1: Water Reducing Admixture

2. 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.

Fig 2: Retarding Admixture (Gypsum)

3. 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.

Fig 3: Accelerator (Silica Fume)

4. Air Entraining Concrete Admixture

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 will also improve 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.

Fig 4: Freezing and Thawing Effect on Concrete

5. 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.
 Fig 5: Fly ash

6. Damp-proofing 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.

Fig 6: Dampness on Concrete Surface

7. 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.
 Fig 7: Activated Carbon Powder

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.

8. Air detraining Admixtures

Air-detraining Admixtures are used to remove the excess air from the concrete voids. Sometimes, the
aggregates may release the gas into concrete and air entrained is more than required then this type of
admixtures are useful.

Some of the mostly used air-detraining admixtures are tributyl phosphate, silicones, water insoluble
alcohols etc.

9. Alkali Aggregate Expansion Preventing Admixtures

Alkali aggregate expansion in concrete is happened by the reaction of alkali of cement with the silica
present in the aggregates. It forms a gel like substance and cause volumetric expansion of concrete
which may lead to cracking and disintegration.

Use of pozzolanic admixtures will prevent the alkali-aggregate reaction and in some cases air-
entraining admixtures are also useful. Generally used admixtures to reduce the risk of alkali aggregate
reaction are aluminum powder and lithium salts.
 Fig 8: Effect of Alkali Aggregate Reaction on Concrete

10. Anti-washout Admixtures

Anti-washout admixtures are used in concrete especially for under water concrete structure. It protect
the concrete mix from being washed out under water pressure. It improves the cohesiveness of
concrete.

This type of admixtures are prepared from natural or synthetic rubbers, cellulose based thickeners etc.

Fig 9: Underwater Concreting

11. Grouting Admixtures

Grouting admixtures are added to grout materials to improve the grout properties according to the
requirement of grout. Sometimes, there is a need of quick set grout and sometimes there is a need of
slow set grout to spread into deep cracks or fissures.

Hence, different admixtures are used as grout admixtures based on situation. Accelerators like calcium
chloride, triethanolamine etc. are used as grout admixtures when the grout is to be set rapidly. Similarly
retarders like mucic acid, gypsum etc. are used to slow down the setting time of grout.
Gas forming admixtures like aluminum powder is added to grout material to counteract the settle of
foundations.

Fig 10: Grouting

12. Corrosion Preventing Admixtures

Corrosion of steel in reinforced concrete structure is general and it is severe when the structure is
exposed to saline water, industrial fumes, chlorides etc. To prevent or to slow down the process of
corrosion preventing admixtures are used.

Some of the corrosion preventing admixtures used in reinforced concrete are sodium benzoate, sodium
nitrate, sodium nitrite etc.

Fig 11: Corrosion of Steel in Concrete

13. Bonding Admixtures

Bonding admixtures are used to create a bond between old and fresh concrete surfaces. In general, if
fresh concrete is poured over a hardened concrete surface, there is a chance of failure of fresh concrete
surface due to weak bond with old surface.
To make the bond stronger, bonding admixtures are added to cement or mortar grout which is applied
on the concrete surface just before placing fresh concrete. This type of admixtures are used for
pavement overlays, screed over roof provision, repair works etc.

Bonding admixtures are water emulsions and they are made from natural rubber, synthetic rubbers,
polymers like poly vinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate etc.

Fig 12: Concrete Pavement Overlay

14. Fungicidal, Germicidal, Insecticidal Admixtures

To prevent the growth of bacteria, germs, fungus on hardened concrete structures, it is recommended
that the mix should have fungicidal, germicidal and insecticidal properties. This properties can be
developed by adding admixtures like polyhalogenated phenols, copper compounds and dieledren
emulsions etc.

Fig 13: Concrete affected by Fungi

15. Coloring Admixtures

Coloring admixtures are the pigments which produce color in the finished concrete. The admixtures
used to produce color should not affect the concrete strength. Generally coloring admixtures are added
to cement in a ball mill, then colored cement can be obtained which can be used for making colored
concrete. Some of the coloring admixtures and their resultant colors are tabulated below.
 Table 1: Coloring Admixtures and their Resultant Colors

Admixture Color obtained

Iron or Red oxide Red

Hydroxides of iron Yellow

Barium manganite and Ultramarine Blue

Chromium oxide and chromium hydroxide Green

Ferrous oxide Purple

Carbon black Black

Manganese black , Raw umber Brown

Fig 14: Colored Concrete