Login | Register
The Engineer's Place for News and Discussion®

Previous in Forum: How to Remove the Odor of Hydroponic Solution   Next in Forum: Suitability of MOC of Pump
Close

Comments Format:






Close

Subscribe to Discussion:

CR4 allows you to "subscribe" to a discussion
so that you can be notified of new comments to
the discussion via email.

Close

Rating Vote:







8 comments
Power-User

Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 159
Good Answers: 13

Concrete Additive Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/07/2012 10:43 PM

I read an article some time ago about an additive that can be put in concrete that actually makes it stronger in the presence of moisture rather than weaker. Anybody know what this additive is and if commercial mixers use it?

Register to Reply
Pathfinder Tags: concrete
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

Comments rated to be Good Answers:

These comments received enough positive ratings to make them "good answers".
Guru

Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Ottawa Canada
Posts: 1333
Good Answers: 96
#1

Re: Concrete Additive that is Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/07/2012 11:46 PM

Oh I know...I know!!!!!

That additive is.....

(drum roll please!!!)

Cement!

And yes, I am reasonably certain my local concrete company uses it!

(Oh this is so much fun....but really dude...you set yourself up for that one! Concrete will set up stronger and better in the wet...in fact, it works best when poured under (fresh) water. It doesn't get weaker in the wet, as your question seems to imply)

__________________
If it was easy anybody could do it.
Register to Reply
Power-User

Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 159
Good Answers: 13
#2
In reply to #1

Re: Concrete Additive that is Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/08/2012 1:26 AM

CR4 ADMIN: Modified Post

Abuse/Attack: This post was deleted because it was an attack on another user. Please review the CR4 Site FAQ and the CR4 Rules of Conduct.

I found the answer. It's sodium acetate.

Register to Reply Off Topic (Score 6)
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Indeterminate Engineering Fields - Control Engineering - New Member

Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: In the bothy, 7 chains down the line from Dodman's Lane level crossing. Kettle's on.
Posts: 19618
Good Answers: 472
#3
In reply to #2

Re: Concrete Additive that is Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/08/2012 3:48 AM

Well, that's sorted, then.

__________________
There was a time, not long ago, when people were smarter than their phones... (tips hat to CR4 user Harley.)
Register to Reply
Anonymous Poster #1
#4
In reply to #3

Re: Concrete Additive that is Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/08/2012 4:14 AM

Not really, admin needs to sort out a politically incorrect post.

The poster askes a question, answers it himself, can not take a handful of humor and insults a member who posted under the fun banner.

Register to Reply Off Topic (Score 5)
Guru
United Kingdom - Member - Hearts of Oak Popular Science - Paleontology - New Member Engineering Fields - Mechanical Engineering - New Member

Join Date: May 2005
Location: In the Garden
Posts: 4580
Good Answers: 66
#5
In reply to #3

Re: Concrete Additive that is Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/08/2012 4:15 AM

How nice, he came back to share his new found knowledge.

__________________
Chaos always wins because it's better organised.
Register to Reply
Anonymous Poster #1
#7
In reply to #5

Re: Concrete Additive that is Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/08/2012 9:07 PM

Yes but he came back screaming!

Thanks for lending a hand on this issue.

Register to Reply Off Topic (Score 5)
2
Guru

Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 542
Good Answers: 47
#6
In reply to #2

Re: Concrete Additive that is Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/08/2012 9:59 AM

This may be the article: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie070527l

The sodium acetate is not an additive, but is applied as a treatment after the concrete has cured to reduce the concrete's water permeability. This helps protect the steel reinforcement from corrosion, but doesn't add to the concrete's strength, AFAIK.

Register to Reply Good Answer (Score 2)
Guru
Hobbies - DIY Welding - New Member Hobbies - Target Shooting - New Member Engineering Fields - Civil Engineering - New Member United States - Member - New Member

Join Date: May 2009
Location: Red Hook, New York (Mid-Hudson River Valley)
Posts: 3723
Good Answers: 125
#8

Re: Concrete Additive Stronger in the Presence of Water

10/09/2012 10:17 AM

Jerry, it's takes a high degree of cement to make concrete stronger, as well as careful proportioning of pozzolans (if used), fine and coarse aggregate gradations, a lower then normal water-to-cement ratio, and careful and proper curing techniques & durations.

I suggest that you go procure (for free) several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineering Manuals (EM 1110-X-XXXX series) dealing specifically with concrete in general as well as the use of High-Strength Concretes.

Yes, you can use Rapid-Hardening Cements such as Magnesium-phosphate cement (MPC) and High Alumina cements (HAC) for high early strength, or even silica-fume which is a fine amorphous pozzolanic material.

I know of no additive that will make a concrete mix stronger in the presence of water. In fact, the more water you use in a mix the more it will weaken the concrete, hence lower it's strength properties (Compressive Strength, Flexural Strength, Tensile Strength, and Modulus of Rupture.....)

I can supply you with the proper link to the USACE website that contains the EM series that you would need. It is then up to you to download the appropriate EM and actually read it as well as fully understand it.

__________________
"Veni, Vidi, Vici"; hendiatris attributed to Gaius Julius Caesar, 47 B.C.
Register to Reply
Register to Reply 8 comments
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

Comments rated to be Good Answers:

These comments received enough positive ratings to make them "good answers".
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

Anonymous Poster (2); bigg (1); CaptMoosie (1); English Rose (1); jerrys (1); PWSlack (1); Yusef1 (1)

Previous in Forum: How to Remove the Odor of Hydroponic Solution   Next in Forum: Suitability of MOC of Pump