What can I do when logged in?

You can submit new articles, so we can make unique versions of them and distribute them for you.
If you want to simply publish the same article on 800 websites, you can tell us to do that.
You can see the archive and current status of all your article distributions.
You can order any number of high-quality articles - just let us know your keywords.
You can browse the archive of all the articles we have written for you.
You can order our Complete Service (10 high-quality articles plus 10 article distributions).
You can purchase more credits for our services and check your affiliate earnings.
Much more ...

SpinDistribute.com Article Directory

The following article was published in our article directory on May 21, 2013.
Learn more about SpinDistribute Article Distribution System.

Understanding Concrete Admixtures

Article Category: Advice

Author Name: Dennis Graziano

The concept of concrete admixtures is crucial in enhancing the performance of concrete, especially when exposed to stress and pressure. Admixtures are certain chemicals added into the concrete during the mixing stage. The mix must also be designed to accommodate specific needs, such as air entrainment.

Admixtures are key ingredients besides the usual stuff (hydraulic cement, water, aggregates, and fibers) added to a concrete batch during or before the mix. Proper use of the concrete admixtures enhances concrete composition and performance, which includes high quality, and enhanced sulfate and frost resistance, and setting time acceleration and retardation. It also gives you control in the strength development, improving its workability in the process. What you get is a high quality product that can readily stand up to the pressures of time and the outdoor environments.

Studies revealed that about 80% of all the concrete produced all over North America contain admixtures. A number of ready mix concrete producers utilize fly ash, while the others turn to water-reducer admixture.

Admixtures in general vary in their chemical compositions, with most performing more important functions. All admixtures should meet the required specifications; this is accomplished through evaluation tests to show how it affects concrete properties in conjunction of the specific materials to be used for the job, not to mention how it would fare against anticipated ambient conditions and other typical construction procedures.

There are two basic admixture types used in the concrete industry these days: chemical and mineral admixtures. Chemical admixtures are introduced into the concrete mix in small and particular amounts. Its purpose is mainly for cement content and water reduction, the entrainment of the air, controlling the setting time, and the plasticization of freshly made concrete mixtures.

Mineral admixtures on the other hand, are added to the concrete mix in much larger amounts to set the conditions for the workability of freshly made concrete. These are also designed to improve concrete's thermal cracking resistance property, as well as resistance to sulfate attack and alkali-aggregate expansion. The addition of mineral admixtures also reduces cement content.

One type of mineral admixture is the fly ash, which is a finely-divided residue, a result from ground/powdered coal combustion. It is characterized as finer compared to cement, consisting of spherical, glassy particles, including magnetite/hematite residues, char, and crystalline phases created during cooling. Fly ash has proven to be both ecologically and economically beneficial in the general use of concrete. This is so since the admixture improves cement workability, the bleeding process, reduces the segregation, permeability and heat evolution. It also enhances resistance to sulfate and inhibit alkali-aggregate reactions.

Silica fume (microsilica) is another type of mineral admixture considered to be a byproduct of high-purity quartz reduction together with coal on electric furnaces. This manifests during silicon/ferrosilicon production. Back in the mid-seventies, it was simply discharged back into the air. And when environmental concerns started its collection and land filling activities, it became available for various applications, one of which is becoming an admixture.

To pour fresh concrete on various construction works is a sensitive project; any delay (however unexpected it may be) will only create major problems. The introduction of concrete admixtures gives you better control over the concrete project.

.

Keywords: reinforcing concrete, concrete admixtures, welded wire, synthetic mesh, concrete cracks, concrete slump, pouring a concrete slab

Learn more about SpinDistribute Article Distribution System. We also offer Professional Article Writing to everyone who's looking for high quality web content.

SpinDistribute.com Network

Each article you submit at SpinDistribute.com is sent through our innovative Article Distribution System to our network of more than 1840 publishers - about 55% of them are high-quality article directories, 30% of them are niche blogs and 15% of them are other content-rich websites.

To achieve the best possible success we only publish your article to most related websites. This means your article will show up on approximately 640 - 880 most related websites which will give you great SEO results.

We also offer a separate Professional Article Writing Service to everyone who's looking for high quality web content and well researched unique articles.