TYPES OF CONCRETE ADMIXTURES

Types of Admixtures
Concrete admixtures are used to improve the behavior of concrete under a variety of
conditions and are of two main types: Chemical and Mineral.
Chemical Admixtures

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Chemical admixtures reduce the cost of construction, modify properties of hardened
concrete, ensure quality of concrete during mixing/transporting/placing/curing, and
overcome certain emergencies during concrete operations.
Chemical admixtures are used to improve the quality of concrete during mixing,
transporting, placement and curing. They fall into the following categories:

air entrainers

water reducers

set retarders

set accelerators

superplasticizers

specialty admixtures: which include corrosion inhibitors, shrinkage control,

alkali-silica reactivity inhibitors, and coloring.

Mineral admixtures make mixtures more economical, reduce permeability, increase

strength, and influence other concrete properties.
Mineral admixtures affect the nature of the hardened concrete through hydraulic or
pozzolanic activity. Pozzolans are cementitious materials and include natural pozzolans
(such as the volcanic ash used in Roman concrete), fly ash and silica fume.
They can be used with Portland cement, or blended cement either individually or in
combinations.
ASTM Categories - Concrete Admixtures ASTM C494 specifies the requirements for seven chemical admixture types. They are:

Type A: Water-reducing admixtures

Type B: Retarding admixtures

Type C: Accelerating admixtures

Type D: Water-reducing and retarding admixtures

Type E: Water-reducing and accelerating admixtures

Type F: Water-reducing, high range admixtures

Type G: Water-reducing, high range, and retarding admixtures

Note: Changes occur in the admixture industry faster than the ASTM consensus process.
Shrinkage Reducing Admixtures (SRA) and Mid-Range Water Reducers (MRWD) are
two areas for which no ASTM C494-98 specifications currently exist.

Water reducing admixtures (WRA)

The use of WRA is defined as Type A in ASTM C 494. WRA affects mainly the fresh
properties of concrete by reducing the amount of water used by 5% to 12% while
maintaining a certain level of consistency, measured by the slump as prescribed in ASTM
C 143-90. The use of WRA may accelerate or retard the initial setting time of concrete.
The WRA that retards the initial setting time more than three hours later is classified as
WRA with retarding effect (Type D). Commonly used WRA is lignosulfonates and
hydrocarboxylic (HC) acids. The use of HC acids as WRA requires higher water content
compared to the lignosulfonates. Rapid bleeding is a problem for concrete treated with
HC acids.
Retarding admixtures
The use of this admixture is defined in ASTM C494. There are two kinds of retarders,
defined as Type B (Retarding Admixtures) and Type D (Water Reducing and Retarding
Admixtures). The main difference between these two is the water-reducing characteristic
in Type D that gives higher compressive strengths by lowering w/cm ratio.
Retarding admixtures are used to slow the rate of setting of concrete. By slowing the
initial setting time, the concrete mixture can stay in its fresh mix state longer before it
gets to its hardened form.

Superplasticizers (High Range Water reducer)

ASTM C494 Type F and Type G, High Range Water Reducer (HRWR) and retarding
admixtures are used to reduce the amount of water by 12% to 30% while maintaining a
certain level of consistency and workability (typically from 75 mm to 200 mm) and to
increase workability for reduction in w/cm ratio. The use of superplasticizers may
produce high strength concrete (compressive strength up to 22,000 psi). Superplasticizers
can also be utilized in producing flowing concrete used in a heavy reinforced structure
with inaccessible areas. Requirement for producing flowing concrete is defined in ASTM
C 1017. The effect of superplasticizers in concrete flow is illustrated in the chart below: