Concrete Admixtures
To mix concrete you need only water, cement and an aggregate. This basic concrete mix will be suitable for many applications however sometimes it is preferable to achieve greater control over the properties of the concrete. By adding different ingredients to the basic concrete mix you can gain control over almost every property of the concrete.
It does take a fair degree of working experience with these additives to make sure that you get predictable results with your concrete. Adding concrete additives and changing the properties of the mix can have erratic results based on many factors such as sun, moisture and mixing time so working experience is essential before you try a large concrete pour using additives.
From basic admixtures auch as color to advanced set time acceleration or retardation, there is a concrete admixture product for almost every characteristic of the concrete. Typically found in powdered or liquid form, concrete additives are mixed in with the concrete during the mixing process.
Proceed to the section on Concrete Admixtures Effects