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| Concrete Decor Archives |
Concrete Mix, Water Reducers
The main reason to add water to concrete is to improve workability. Finding the best water-to-cement ratio improves the concrete's hardening.
by Susan Brimo-Cox
of water reducers whether you know it or not. Tony Schlagbaum, group product line manager at DeGussa Admixtures Inc. in Cleveland, estimates that 70 percent to 80 percent — maybe as high as 90 percent — of concrete mixes contain some form of water reducer. And water reducers are used for good reason — they offer many benefits.
“Water reducers do exactly what the name says: They allow concrete to be mixed with less water,” observes Bart Sacco, president of Concrete Texturing Tools & Supply in Throop, Pa. In addition, water reducers can be used to provide additional workability at the same water-to-cement ratio.
The main reason to add water to concrete — above and beyond what is needed for the proper hydration of the cement particles — is to improve workability, of course. “The rule of thumb is: 0.22 to 0.25 water-to-cement ratio is required for complete hydration,” says Schlagbaum. Most mixes have water-to-cement ratios of 0.40 to 0.60 primarily for workability purposes, he adds. But keeping the water-to-cement ratio down through the use of water reducers improves the concrete’s hardened properties.
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