Validating concrete admixture dosages with UV-Vis spectroscopy

Author(s): N. Ghafoori, M. Barfield
Paper category: Conference
Book title: Rheology and processing of Construction Materials – 7th RILEM International Conference on Self-Compacting Concrete and 1st RILEM International Conference on Rheology and Processing of Construction Materials
Editor(s): Nicolas Roussel and Hela Bessaies-Bey
Print ISBN: 978-2-35158-137-7
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-138-4
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Pages: 277-284
Total Pages: 8
Language: English

Abstract: 
Admixtures are increasingly used in the field to produce many types of high performance concrete such as self-consolidating concrete. Self consolidating concrete (SCC) is highly flowable and requires no manual consolidation for placement where there is congested reinforcing steel or where concrete is difficult to place. One of the disadvantages of SCC is its reliance on multiple admixtures to produce the desired effects. UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to investigate the adsorption of the high range water reducing (HRWR) and air-entraining admixtures (AEA), since both admixtures are surface-acting agents when in contact with cement and water. The UV-Vis tests confirmed that the various types of AEA and HRWR behave differently and visually display a difference in the concentration of free admixture in solution. When compared independently and in conjunction with the other, both AEA and HRWR dosages obtained through trial and error could be correlated with the concentration of admixture determined by the UV-Vis Spectrophotometer.

Online publication: 2013
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00