Every concrete structure has a lifespan that depends on careful execution and preventive protection of the structure. Thus, doubts often arise about how to avoid air bubbles in concrete, so that the final result does not present surface holes or air pockets in its environment, known as “chimboxes”.
It is precisely during the mixing of the concrete that most of the air is incorporated. Air bubbles also affect the aesthetic aspect of the application, damaging the appearance, bringing dissatisfaction to customers and causing greater rework to cover imperfections. However, there is a way to avoid them.
With that in mind, in this article, we will show you how to avoid air bubbles in concrete in the most practical, safe and decisive way. Read on and check it out!
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Why is it important to prevent the appearance of air bubbles in concrete?
Bubbles are bumps that vary in diameter, ranging from half an inch (12 mm) to 1 inch (25 mm), up to 2 or 3 inches (50 to 75 mm), or even microbubbles that appear on pieces of cementitious coating, where this type of blister cannot appear for aesthetic reasons. They usually appear as soon as the operations of concrete finish.
In this way, they damage the surface aesthetically and even structurally the concrete, as is the case of ashboxes, which are often found in concrete columns and beams.
In less illuminated areas, bubbles may not be detected while finishing. Subsequently, these flaws will be noticed at the time of use.
How do bubbles form?
There are different problems that can be caused by bubbles in the concrete. Everything will depend on where they appear.
Superficial ones affect the aesthetics of the piece and will be the focus of this article. However, there are internal bubbles, which appear inside the concrete pieces and tend to cause losses in terms of toughness.
Bubbles often form on the surface of fresh concrete, and when the material hardens, defects become even more visible. There are several reasons for this to happen, such as insufficient vibration, preventing trapped air from coming out - while the excessive use of vibration causes the migration of a layer of mortar to the surface and the segregation of coarse-grained and small aggregates.
Other factors that can cause blisters are:
water/cement factor;
excess evaporation;
premature finishing;
concrete quality;
temperature;
weather conditions;
content of materials in the mixture;
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How to prevent air bubbles from forming in concrete?
If you want these bubbles to not appear in any way, in addition to knowing how they arise, it is important to know some practical ways to avoid them. Read on and learn our tips for the success of your project!
1. Keep an eye on the length of the steps
The professional responsible for providing the finish on the concrete surface must know how to give it time. That is, it is necessary to wait for the right time to do the concreting. When this step is taken prematurely, blisters may appear.
Attention must be paid to the concreting processes, to the marking and paving of the edges, and to the leveling, in addition to being careful that the layers are not missing or in excess of quantity.
2. Establish surface care
The surface being worked on must be on Constant care. In many cases, people want to know how to avoid air bubbles in concrete but don't care enough about the base.
Always remember to protect the area to prevent evaporation or uncontrolled drying, so use protection techniques against excessive evaporation of water during the curing period of concrete, so that it can cure homogeneously and slowly. In this way, Trincas and cracks can also be prevented on the concrete surface, which can decrease its surface strength and impair aesthetics.
3. Use specific additives
In addition to these tips, which require much more attention and technique, there is a very simplified way for those who want to reduce bubbles in concrete.
The practicality lies in the use of additives that can work in different ways. The use of superplasticizers can be a great ally in improving the quality of concrete and also in reducing the formation of air bubbles in it.
Superplasticizers can reduce the amount of water needed for a person by up to 40% Slumpflow, thus reducing the water/cement factor of concrete, increasing its density and the reduction of empty spaces, which lead to the formation of air bubbles, whether on the surface or inside of the concrete.
In general, the additives serve to remove the air present in the concrete mix. This automatically prevents the formation of bubbles or faults that could result in future cracks.
Another good feature of this solution is the ability to promote greater homogeneity at work, which triggers a better settlement for the dough and a perfect finish.
4. Protect the structure preventively
Whether it's a concrete floor or a decorative concrete coating, its preventive protection is another factor that will influence the lifespan of the concrete as a whole. For this purpose, there are specific water repellents for concrete that do not alter its appearance and protect against the action of water, both in walls How much in floors.
How to choose the best additive?
If you choose to buy an additive for your concrete mix, you need to know that the type of product will directly influence the result obtained. The market offers several options, however, for most jobs, technical guidance and prior tests are recommended to attest to the quality and characteristics that concrete must have when cured.
In this post, you reviewed our tips on how to avoid air bubbles in concrete. We hope it has become clear that the success of this work is linked to the technique and the proper preparation of the mixture. Every step of the process deserves close attention — otherwise problems will arise.
Now that you know that superplasticizing additives can help with the formation of bubbles in concrete, contact us. We have the most effective solutions to optimize your work and promote quality gains!
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