Compatibility of a polycarboxylate-based superplasticiser with different set-controlling admixtures

The compatibility of specific combinations of chemical admixtures for cement pastes and mortars have been investigated. The consistency, setting time and compressive strength of cement pastes and mortars incorporating a polycarboxylate-based plasticizing admixture (PCA) with four different set-controlling admixtures (SCA); calcium formate (CF), tri-ethanolamine (TEA), mixture of calcium nitrite and nitrate salts (CNN blend) and sodium aluminate (SA) have been determined within the scope of this study. Fifty-two mortar and paste specimens with different amounts of PCA and SCA combinations have been prepared. Water/cement ratios of cement paste and mortar mixtures were 0.24 and 0.50, respectively. The paste mixtures have been prepared to determine the setting time data and the mortar mixtures have been used to determine the consistency and compressive strength values. Test results indicated that the PCA employed in this study, retards the setting time, improves consistency and reduces the early strength development of all paste and mortar mixtures at dosages greater than 0.4% by mass of cement. However, the use of different set-controlling admixtures in combination with PCA caused drastic changes in the performances of the mixtures depending on the type and amount of SCAs. It was concluded that, in order to reduce the setting time and increase the early strength of PCA incorporated mortars without causing consistency loss, the combination of PCA, and SCA should be optimized according to their types. A new 3D box-plot method has been used to determine the optimum admixture combinations for the desired properties. Maximum flow, shortest setting time and highest early strength criterion were the targets of the optimization. The most effective combination to obtain desired set acceleration and high early strength values was 1.8% PCA with 1.6% nitrite and nitrate salts based SCA by mass of cement. If consistency lost is in secondary importance, 1.8% PCA based plasticiser with 1% sodium aluminate based SCA may be an alternative combination. The proposed method can be used to optimize the targeted properties for a specific combination of cement, PCA and SCA.