February 9, 2007, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., Holmes Hall 244
Chemical Admixtures for Concrete – What are they and how do they work?
Kevin J. Folliard, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Austin Industries Endowed Teaching Fellow
The University of Texas at Austin
ABSTRACT
Chemical admixtures are commonly used to modify the fresh, hardened, and durability properties of concrete. Although it is almost guaranteed that every load of ready-mix concrete will have at least one chemical admixture present, surprisingly little is known about these additives, how they work, and why they sometimes do not!! This presentation will provide a basic overview of the main chemical admixtures being used today and will attempt to shed light on the mechanisms underlying their modes of action. Some recent trends in admixture technology will be also be discussed. A main theme of this presentation will be that understanding how admixtures actually work will help practitioners (and researchers) to optimize admixture usage and minimize problems in the field or in the laboratory.