Modification of the cast concrete mixture by air-entraining agents

The paper investigates the combined effect of superplasticizer based on the naphthalene lignosulfonate and the air-entraining surfactant agent on the fluidity, connectivity and air entrainment of concrete. The air-entraining surfactant agent contributes significantly into air entrainment and reduces the water gain and the mortar separation. It was found that under the introduction of air-entraining surfactant agents in the concrete mixture which contains the superplasticizer, the concrete mobility decreases even though the air-entraining agent is a plasticizer itself. The introduction of 0.1 % air-entraining agent decreases mobility: slump Abrams – 5–6 %, slump flow – 18–22 %. Besides, the effect of increasing the connectivity of the concrete mix is associated with the air entrainment. Regardless of the air-entraining surfactant agent, the superplasticizer reduces water separation, and does not have an air-entraining impact, and virtually has no effect on the air entrainment caused by the addition of the air-entraining agent. With the increasing quantity of the air-entraining surfactant agent in the concrete mix, regardless of the superplasticizer dosage, the amount of the entrained air increases from 3 to 7 %, and water separation is reduced to almost 0. Thus, the synergy of the superplasticizer and the air-entraining agent was negative, but it is possible to observe a positive effect in respect of the concrete mix connectivity.