Concrete structures are supposed to be and essentially sustainable. Now what form of sustainability are we talking about is also a concern. Are we talking about the sustainability or the ability to last for longer period? Or are we talking about the green concrete or the sustainable eco-friendly solution. Well, the answer is both. If we are talking about sustainability in the manner of strength concrete admixtures are the answer helping to build durable and resilient concrete buildings and infrastructure supporting safe and strong development of the human civilization.
Concrete admixtures and sustainability
Cement additives and concrete admixtures are
chemicals that help cement-based systems last longer. Enhancing durability and
strength through water reduction, as well as accelerating the cement hydration
process to allow extra cementitious materials to replace clinker, are two ways
to achieve this improvement.
Different admixture technologies are
frequently used in combination today, particularly in concrete systems that
incorporate secondary cementitious materials (SCMs), where not only water
reduction but also chemistries that catalyses the cement hydration reaction are
used to allow for more SCMs to be included while maintaining the specified
strength.
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Dispersant-based water reducers and superplasticizers
One of the most successful concretes
improving technologies produced is dispersant-based water reducers. These
dispersing chemicals can deflocculate cement grains and other tiny particles,
allowing water that would otherwise be trapped in the cement flocs to escape.
The bulk flow of the concrete system increases as a result of this activity.
The use of these potent water-reducing chemistries has resulted in concrete
with excellent rheological characteristics. Another option to use water
reducers to promote sustainability is to use less cement or more SCMs in the
concrete mix.
·
Air entraining agents
Air entraining agents (AEAs) are surface
active agents that work by stabilising microscopic air bubbles in concrete to
relieve pressure when entrained water expands during the freezing process. As a
result, AEAs are required by construction regulations in many freeze-thaw-prone
zones around the world, and they've been utilized successfully for 75 years.
AEAs can also help to reduce CO2 emissions from mortar manufacturing, which
accounts for 40% of cement used in developing countries and nearly a third of
global cement production. By including AEAs, mortar makers can obtain
comparable flow to the more conventional techniques of adding more cement or
water to the system, thanks to the lubricating effect of the air bubbles.
·
Accelerators
For well over a century, set and hardening
accelerators have been recognised and employed. Concrete admixtures of these
types are essential in the production of cement-based products because of their
capacity to stimulate cement hydration and compensate for low early strength
development with SCMs. They're mostly soluble calcium chloride, nitrate, and
nitrite salts. Sodium thiocyanates and amines are two further types of
accelerators. Despite their effectiveness, chloride salts are typically
prohibited from usage due to their ability to promote corrosion of
reinforcement components. As a result, more non-chloride and non-corrosive accelerators
are being used, which is another promising option for developing sustainable
concrete.
Sustainability for environmental cause
Coming to the second concern are concrete
sustainable for the environmental cause? Well not all. The use of concrete has
been known to humankind since ancient times, the traces and use of it from the
past been found even today. In the present human civilization is distinctly
defined for its progress in building the concrete structures. However, what
about the future does the development of construction technology has an answer
for the future and its sustainability.
The answer is yes. Immense amount of research
and development is being carried on to come up with green concrete and
alternative of the current option affecting the environment. Concrete
admixtures and products used in the constructional sites are going under
evaluation as to how can they be produced without impacting the environment.
Concrete admixtures can be used to lower
cement content, allow for more use of supplementary cementitious materials
(SCMs), and even improve environmental resilience to help constructions last
longer. Admixtures have the ability to reduce CO2 emissions related with the
manufacture of concrete. The impact of admixtures on sustainability, on the
other hand, can be complicated and entail a lot of variables. The following
examples show how admixtures can be used to lower concrete's CO2 footprint in a
variety of ways.
Concrete admixtures can be used creatively,
either alone or in combination, to reduce CO2 emissions related with concrete
production.
Mapei concrete admixtures as the answer
Mapei offers a wide range of concrete
admixtures and admixture types such as the
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Water reducing/plasticising admixture
·
High range water reducing super-plasticizing admixture
·
Water retaining admixture
·
Hardening accelerating admixture
·
Water resisting admixture
·
Set retarding/ water reducing/ plasticizing admixture
·
Set retarding/high range water reducing/super-plasticizing admixture
·
Set accelerating/ water reducing/ plasticizing admixture
Because concrete admixtures can have such a
wide range of properties and applications, the standard provides multiple
classification groups, tests, and minimum performance criteria for each
admixture type. Mapei Concrete admixtures are produced keeping in mind the site
requirements, for example whether it is to support precast concrete or to avoid
spalling concrete just to name a few.
Mapei also offer concrete admixture product
to support the green construction with its eco-friendly products and would urge
the construction companies, builders and professionals from the field to
increase the usage of these product.
Mapei products are line of legacy and quality
combines and have served for more than eight decades. One of the primary
principles of Mapei is to preserve for the future thus sustainable concrete is
always the primary goals.
Want to know more about Mapei concrete
admixture products read here.
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