Concrete Mix Optimization & Superplasticizers

As the push for carbon neutrality grows, the concrete industry is seeing a variety of new, more environmentally friendly materials in development. Unfortunately, many new materials are still in the early stages and are costly or unavailable in large quantities. Many concrete professionals are wondering what practical things can be done to reduce the industry's carbon footprint right now - while we wait for innovative materials to become scalable. The answer is mix design optimization and concrete admixtures.? By carefully utilizing concrete chemicals, concrete producers can create mixes with lower water and cement requirements - lowering the overall environmental impact of each truck that leaves the plant.

What is Concrete Mix Design Optimization?

Optimizing a concrete mix design involves creating a mix that will meet standards of strength and durability with the lowest financial and environmental cost. Typical elements of a concrete mix design include the water-cement ratio, the aggregate shape, size, and gradation, and concrete chemical admixtures. Each of these is proportioned to meet the specified characteristics of the project, including slump, air content, and strength development.?

How to Optimize an Environmentally Friendly Mix

When creating an environmentally friendly mix, the main objective is to reduce the cement in the mix. Cement production creates the majority of the carbon emitted by the concrete industry. So, reducing our dependence on traditional Portland cement will significantly impact the industry’s carbon footprint. Currently, two main products are readily available to optimize lower-cement mix designs: supplementary cementitious materials and superplasticizers. Let’s examine each of these individually.

Supplementary Cementitious Materials

Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) are materials used to replace a certain percentage of the cement needed in a concrete mix.? Traditional SCMs include silica fume, slag cement, and fly ash. These products have been used in concrete production for many years and are considered environmentally friendly materials because they repurpose waste by-products from coal and steel industries. Unfortunately, as coal is becoming less and less prominent in the energy industry, the availability of fly ash is decreasing and, in many areas of the country, there is not enough slag to keep up with demand.

Superplasticizers

The other popular option for reducing cement in concrete mixes is superplasticizers.? Superplasticizers are also known as water reducers because they increase the flow of the concrete without adding additional water to the mix.? While this is their most common usage, they can also be used to reduce the amount of cement required - especially for high-strength mixes.? When added to the concrete mix, the chemicals in the superplasticizer keep the cement and water molecules from clumping together.? This frees up more of the cement and water molecules to bond with one another and starts the hydration process. For more information about how superplasticizers can help reduce cement requirements, check out the video below.

Start Optimizing Your Mix Today

If you’re ready to improve your mix design optimization to use less cement, visit us online to request a sample of superplasticizers. Check out our product video to learn more about the different superplasticizers we have to offer. Don’t forget to follow our social media channels for more information about how our products can improve your concrete.