Abstract:
Admixtures have been used in the concrete industry for many decades. They are
usually by-products of particular primary material that eventually finds an application as
a concrete admixture. Specific requests from the concrete industry created a need to
develop polymers with the desired performances. Requests for high strength and high
performance concrete top the list. Design codes have been updated in many countries for
the use of concretes with earlier unknown strength and mechanical performances. The
challenge for the construction industry is to design, manufacture and to deliver such
concretes with locally available materials. These concretes should not only maintain
workability but also be able to produce strong, durable and workable concrete.
Water reducers and super-plasticizers, which allow a reduction of water content
and at the same time give extended slump retention, have made the production of such
high strength and high performance concretes a reality.
This study has been carried out to determine the effects on the properties of concrete and
its performance using commercially available chemicals.
