Admixtures

Mastour ReadyMix is a Ready mix concrete and cement products company Jeddah Saudi Arabia

Admixtures are ingredients, other than Portland cement, that are added to the concrete mixture just before or during mixing. The types of admixtures used are air entraining, water reducing, retarding, accelerating and super plasticizer admixtures. Air entraining admixtures entrain or suspend, and spread small air bubbles throughout the concrete. Entrained air makes the concrete more resistant to damage caused by freezing and thawing, and surface scaling caused by deicers. It also increases concrete workability, and reduces bleeding and segregation. Water reducing strength increasing admixtures reduce the water needed to produce concrete at a required slump, reduce the ratio of water to cement, reduce the total amount of water and cement needed, and increase the slump. When the water to cement ratio is reduced, concrete strength increases. Water reducing admixtures can cause an increase in drying shrinkage, and, if the water to cement ratio is maintained while water is lost, a decrease in concrete compressive strength.