What concrete admixtures should be used in hot seasons?

You should consider different factors if you want to use concrete in hot climates. When the weather gets hot, the water or concrete consistency reduces therefore, the concrete hardens severely. On the other hand, adding water to concrete weakens its structure and this leads to a decrease in the strength of the concrete. It is necessary to use suitable admixtures to resolve concrete consistency in hot weather.

In the past, the active experts in this field were inspired by concrete plasticizers in iran being used in different industries such as the plastic production industry to produce productions compatible with concrete so that they can increase its consistency in this condition. Purchasing admixtures in hot seasons is of issue that should be paid special attention to by experts. Poly Carboxylate Ether is one of the admixtures that can be used for concrete consistency in hot seasons.

Hot seasons of the year and problems of concrete casting

Concrete casting in hot seasons is one of the most challenging work in the construction industry. This has led to considering the use of suitable admixtures such as Poly Carboxylate Ether. There are different factors affecting concrete durability some of the most important of which include temperature, solar incidence angle, the intensity of sunlight, humidity, and airflow.   

All of these factors should be under control to proceed with construction properly. When the weather is hot, more water is required to maintain concrete properties. However, using excessive water reduces the properties and strength of the concrete, and that is where the purchase and price of the admixture turn into an important issue.

Intensification of hydration reaction rate in hot weather

Increasing the hydration reaction rate in hot weather is one of the problems that make engineers use retarding admixtures, like Poly Carboxylate Ether with slump retention properties. Generally, when the temperature gets 10˚C hotter than the normal temperature, the reaction rate will double. Therefore, concrete molding is not accomplished properly and concrete compaction will not reach a desirable extent. It is hard to cast concrete when the weather is hot and it may be critical.

Important notes to prevent heat damage to the concrete

Using the admixtures such as polycarboxylate ether is an effective way to control heat-induced damage to the concrete. The other factors are as follows:

• It is better to use expanding or retarding admixtures to control heat
• Avoid using quick-setting and high hydration rates of cement
• Avoid using excessive rebar in the sections
• Do not implement thin concrete components
• Avoid using materials that lead to the fast setting of the concrete
• Use low water-to-cement ratios

What is carboxylate?

As explained earlier, polycarboxylate ether is one of the concrete admixtures in iran that improve concrete properties against heat. This admixture is known as the 3rd generation of water-reducing admixtures and has significant efficiency. Carboxyl is a powder that is used as a water-reducing and slump-retention admixture in concrete. This material is based on the polymerization of acrylic acid and the exchange of oxygen.    

How much carboxylate do we have to use?

It is better to know that there will never be a constant amount for using the polycarboxylate ether and it depends on the climate of the region for each project. The weather is hot in summer and the water in the concrete reduces.

Therefore, the concrete has usually been hardened before casting. Using polycarboxylate ether can resolve the problem regarding the standards. The important issue is that you should use a suitable amount of this admixture. The excessive or less than the allowable limit use of this admixture will never help the efficiency and consistency of the concrete.   

The amount of using the polycarboxylate ether

The amount of using this admixture is specified by factors such as slump and the amount of water reduced in the concrete. Generally, the carboxylates lead to a 40% reduction in the water of the concretes and if it is used in a suitable amount, it will have desirable results on concrete.

Do companies stipulate the amount of used carboxylate?

The companies usually publish the amount of using carboxylates on the product. This makes users use the concrete easily. However, it is noteworthy that the amount of use published on the product by the manufacturer varies depending on the project.   

Effective factors on using the polycarboxylate ether

As noticed earlier, there are numerous factors influencing the amount of using polycarboxylate ether the most important of which include:

• Expense
• The time of project completion
• The density of the carboxyl admixture
• The type and physical properties of the cement used in the concrete
• Temperature
• The humidity of the concrete placing
• The bleeding percentage
• The ultimate shrinkage of the concrete
• The vibration
• The ultimate strength
• The setting time

How do we use the carboxylates?

You can use polycarboxylate ether in different ways, each of which has merits and demerits. In the end, you can choose the best way depending on your project. One of the best ways to add admixtures such as polycarboxylate ether to the concrete is the product line. Making concrete starts with mixing sand and gravel and different admixtures can be added to it in this process. This leads to reaching high-quality concrete to engineers and construction experts and reduces the challenges ahead.

Complementary notes about polycarboxylate ether

• This admixture is completely compatible with nature and those concerned with the environment can use this product for concrete casting in hot seasons of the year easily.
• It might be important for you to know that this admixture is almost compatible with all types of cements. You can easily use this admixture in the process of making cement on this property and will not be involved in the side issues.
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• This admixture can also improve the shrinkage properties of the concrete

Conclusion

We have tried to provide you with thorough information about polycarboxylate ether so far. As explained, this material is an admixture that is used for concrete casting, especially in the hot seasons of the year. Factors such as temperature, humidity, and solar incidence angle significantly affect the physical properties of the concrete and this creates a lot of challenges for engineers and experts. 

We provide you with the best polycarboxylate ether in the Hamgerayan production Company (Capco) that manufacturer of polymeric and chemical materials and products in the concrete industry , help you to experience the best concrete casting in hot seasons. You can call 021-89331 to consult with your experts.