CEMENT AND SUPERPLASTICIZER COMBINATIONS: COMPATIBILITY AND ROBUSTNESS

Modern concrete can contain up to five or more chemical admixtures. This article reports on a study that investigated the robustness of combinations of cements and superplasticizers. Tests done with various cements and different families of superplasticizers showed that although a combination of a cement and a superplasticizer could be compatible, it is not necessarily robust. Sometimes a little variation in the dosage of the admixture could lead to detrimental side effects, such as segregation, excessive set retardation, or excess air content in the concrete. Results showed that the chemical composition of the cement is critical to ensure good compatibility and adequate robustness of various combinations of cements and superplasticizers. The chemical nature of the superplasticizer also plays a role in the behavior of such combinations. The C3A content, the soluble (alkali) sulphate content, and the fineness of the cement, which influence the adsorption rate of the superplasticizers on the cement particles, are among the key factors, especially for polysulfonated admixtures. The authors conclude that a rough prediction of the compatibility and robustness of cements and superplasticizers could be made by analyzing the chemical composition of the cement and the chemical nature of the superplasticizer. This paper was presented at a symposium on cement-admixture interactions (December 2003, Tampa, Florida).

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/3528769
• Corporate Authors:

  ASTM International

  100 Barr Harbor Drive
  West Conshohocken, PA  United States  19428-2959
• Authors:
  • Nkinamubanzi, P-C
  • Aitcin, P-C
• Publication Date: 2003-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 102-109
• Serial:
  • Cement, Concrete and Aggregates
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
  • ISSN: 0149-6123
  • Serial URL: http://journalsip.astm.org/JOURNALS/CEMENT/cca_home.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Admixtures; Alkali; Cement; Chemical properties; Concrete; Dosage; Percent saturation; Quality assurance; Strength of materials; Sulfates; Superplasticizers
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; I32: Concrete;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00986561
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 22 2005 12:00AM