What Are Concrete Additives?

Antonio Neves
Written by
Antonio Neves
Published on
9/3/2024
Updated on
9/6/2024
What Are Concrete Additives?

The additives are mixed with concrete with the objective of modifying its properties, improving workability and offering numerous benefits for civil construction. When added to cement, sand, crushed stone, and water, concrete additives provide special characteristics to the mixture, increasing its efficiency.

By modifying these properties, additives for concrete are able to increase the quality of the final product, valuing the result of the service. In this article, we will explain the characteristics of this product and its objectives. Have a good read!

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What are the benefits of concrete additives?

Concrete additives offer several benefits for civil construction. Additive concrete increases the durability and strength of the final product, expands its qualities, optimizes productivity and reduces construction costs. In addition, additives can increase strength, reduce permeability, the retraction and the water absorption.

What are the main types of additives for concrete?

There are different types of additives, with different purposes, that can be used to optimize the result of the work. Therefore, it is important to know the details and specificities of the construction to determine if there is a need to use the product and which one is better.

Air Incorporators

Os additives air embedders are used to create a kind of Air bubble imperceptible, uniform and stable. This type of product is widely used in very cold countries to improve the strength of concrete during periods of frost and, later, during thawing.

Air incorporates also improve the acoustic and thermal performance of concrete. They can be used on cold room floors and in the production of fluid mixtures.

Plasticizers or air reducers

Os plasticizing additives, or air reducers, are formed by molecules that make cement more malleable. They make it possible for these mixes to be prepared with a smaller amount of water, without altering the consistency and workability of the product. They are indicated to improve density and reduce the use of cement, providing more resistance to the work.

Superplasticizers

These additives are more potent and reduce the amount of water even more than plasticizers, providing an average reduction of 20% in the water-cement ratio. Os superplasticizers they facilitate the spreading of the dough and optimize the Final resistance of concrete. They are suitable for the production of self-condensing concrete or high-performance.

Pega modifiers

These modifiers can speed up or slow down the grip. They are used to reduce the starting and ending time of setting up concrete. Handle accelerators allow mass molding at low temperatures, reducing project completion time.

Retarders, on the other hand, are suitable for warmer weather conditions, provide flexibility in pick up time and increase workability. Grip modifiers also offer more resistance to the final product.

Viscosity modifier

This type of additive binds the concrete, improves its properties and does not allow the separation of the materials that make up this mass. This additive does not interfere with the plasticity of the concrete and, much less, with the setting time.

Superplasticizers of Blok and its benefits

Blok has a complete line of superplasticizers for concrete, mortars and groutes. The products provide more durability and performance to the final product. They can be applied to high performance concrete, in self-reinforcing concrete and in concrete with high initial strength.

Therefore, concrete additives are important to improve workability, strength, retrenchment and the waterproofness of the work. Use quality products and increase the quality and lifespan of your construction.

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