016 362 0200-6What is the components of a basic concrete mix?
There are three basic ingredients in the concrete mix:
Contrary to popular belief, concrete and cement are not the same thing; cement is actually just a component of concrete. Concrete is made up of three basic components: water, aggregate (rock, sand, or gravel) and Portland cement. Cement, usually in powder form, acts as a binding agent when mixed with water and aggregates. This combination, or concrete mix, will be poured and harden into the durable material with which we are all familiar.
Portland Cement - The cement and water form a paste that coats the aggregate and sand in the mix. The paste hardens and binds the aggregates and sand together. Portland cement includes the following ingredients:
- Water
- Aggregates (rock and sand)
Water - Water is needed to chemically react with the cement (hydration) and too provide workability with the concrete. The amount of water in the mix in pounds compared with the amount of cement is called the water/cement ratio. The lower the w/c ratio, the stronger the concrete. (higher strength, less permeability)
Aggregates - Sand is the fine aggregate. Gravel or crushed stone is the coarse aggregate in most mixes.
Concrete Admixtures:
What is the most common types and what they do?
Admixtures are additions to the mix used to achieve certain goals. Here are the main admixtures and what they aim to achieve.
Accelerating admixture - accelerators are added to concrete to reduce setting time of the concrete and to accelerate early strength. The amount of reduction in setting time varies depending on the amount of accelerator used (see your ready mix supplier and describe your application). Calcium chloride is a low cost accelerator, but specifications often call for a nonchloride accelerator to prevent corrosion of reinforcing steel.
Retarding admixtures - Are often used in hot weather conditions to delay setting time. They are also used to delay set of more difficult jobs or for special finishing operations like exposing aggregate. Many retarders also act as a water reducer.
Fly Ash - Is a by-product of coal burning plants. Fly ash can replace 15%-30% of the cement in the mix. Cement and fly ash together in the same mix make up the total cementious material.
- Fly ash improves workability
- Fly ash is easier to finish
- Fly ash reduces the heat generated by the concrete
- Fly ash costs to the amount of the cement it replaces
Air Entraining Admixtures - must be used whenever concrete is exposed to freezing and thawing, and to de-icing salts. Air entraining agents entrains microscopic air bubbles in the concrete: when the hardened concrete freezes, the frozen water inside the concrete expands into these air bubbles instead of damaging the concrete.
- Air entrainment improves concrete workability
- Air entrainment improves durability
- Air entrainment produces a more workable mix
Water reducing admixtures - reduces the amount of water needed in the concrete mix. The water cement ratio will be lower and the strength will be greater. Most low range water reducers reduce the water needed in the mix by 5%-10%. High range water reducers reduce the mix water needed by 12% to 30% but are very expensive and rarely used in residential work.
