Ohio-based adhesive, sealant, gel and coating specialist Silicone Solutions plans a 2018 World of Concrete launch for a nano-silica admixture that effectively converts Types I and II portland cement to a Type IV low heat binder. CoolCure skews hydration chemistry to calcium silicate hydrate or CSH, the principal binding agent in concrete, to the detriment of calcium hydroxide or Ca(OH)2, the heat of hydration source. The product is dosed in two parts per cubic yard: a silica-rich liquid at up to 1 gallon plus a dry catalyst at up to 1 lb. per 100 lbs. of cement.
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New ASTM C09 guide gauges mix performance, material compatibility
Sources: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.; CP staff
ASTM Subcommittee C09.48 on Performance of Cementitious Materials and Admixture Combinations’ working document, WK40615 Guide for Comparing Performance of Concrete Materials Using Mortar Mixtures, standardizes longstanding material-performance investigation protocol.
Read MoreHouston area plant shows Sika’s Texas-sized market ambitions
Sources: Sika Corp., Lyndhurst, N.J.; CP staff
Sika has wrapped up the 2017 by dedicating an admixture and mortar production facility near Houston. Geared to Texas and Southwest markets, the plant is the company’s 22nd in the U.S. and equipped for production of polymers central to high performance admixtures.
Read MoreProcessor allocates air-entraining Vinsol resin for admixture accounts
A convergence of routine market and rare natural forces could compel concrete producers using Vinsol resin-based admixtures to convert their mix designs to ones bearing alternative products meeting ASTM C260, Standard Specification for Air-Entraining Admixtures for Concrete requirements. Through much of 2018, producers will likely confront tight supplies of Vinsol-type air-entraining admixtures as the resin’s sole supplier addresses capacity and inventory challenges.
Read MoreAdmixture helps Thomas Concrete ‘shrink’ emergency bridge work schedule
The Georgia Department of Transportation approved the use of Premier Construction Products Group’s PREVent-C, a shrinkage-reducing and crack control admixture, among accelerated construction techniques on the Interstate 85 over Piedmont Road Bridges contract. Completed ahead of schedule, the six-week emergency project stemmed from a late-March fire that doomed twin structures carrying upwards of 250,000 vehicles daily.
Read MoreUltrasonic Device Gauges Concrete Set Time, Optimal Mix Placement Rate
Until now the so-called knead bag test has been used to determine concrete hardening or solidification time, tE. It entails filling a plastic bag with a small amount of mix, testing at different time intervals to measure when the concrete can no longer be pressed by thumb. European practitioners find the method subjective and uncertain, which is why the time determined in accordance with the German DIN 18218 standard must be extended by 25 percent.
Read MoreRaw materials market factors drive Grace admixture price boost
Source: Grace Construction Products, Cambridge, Mass. Effective January, Grace will implement price increases averaging 5 percent across North American concrete and masonry product lines. Pricing for certain products may increase by more than 10 percent. The company attributes the bumps to continued demand for chemical streams globally, which has put pressure on the cost and availability of raw materials used…
Read MoreCentral Concrete aligns with admixture supplier Pervious Plus Inc.
Source: U.S. Concrete Inc., Houston
Major northern California ready mixed producer Central Concrete Supply Co. will adopt an admixture, Pervious Plus, formulated to improve pervious concrete mix workability and finished slab durability. An agreement with Pervious Plus Inc. of Citrus Heights, Calif., will see Central Concrete market the brand and add the pervious mix to EF Technology, a family of environmental products promoted throughout the operations of parent U.S. Concrete.
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