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Procedia Engineering 195 (2017) 205 – 211

18th International Conference on Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Buildings 2016, CRRB

2016

Long-term compressive strength of mortars modified with

hardening accelerating admixtures
Jan Pizońa*
a
Silesian University of Technology, Akademicka 5 str. 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

Abstract

Nowadays producers of fresh concrete and reinforced concrete precast elements wants to shorten time of curing. This is
beneficial for the sake of organization of building and manufacturing process. Constructional elements gain strength faster. They
can be demoulded, transported and loaded earlier. Economic benefits are gained because formworks may be rent for shorter
periods and moulds for precast elements may be filled up with next element earlier so the production is more efficient. The
shortening of curing time may be achieved by usage of hardening and set accelerating admixtures. Other benefit is possibility of
concreting during winter time. Besides obvious advantages showed before there are drawbacks of such admixtures. One of the
most dangerous is lowered final compressive strength in comparison with non-modified concrete. Long-term (28, 90, 180
and 360 days) compressive strength of cement mortars were tested. Samples were made with usage of Portland cement and
cement with 35 % ground granulated blast furnace slag addition. In case of CEM I 52.5R decline of long-term compressive
strength caused by hardening accelerating admixtures is always visible but its scale is not very large and depends on type of
admixture. In case of cement with slag addition the decrease of compressive strength does not occur after modification by
accelerator based on CSH crystal seeds in both dosages (50 % and 100 % of maximal allowed by producer) and for calcium
nitrate in half of maximal dosage. According to statements above it is not allowed to say that every hardening accelerating
admixture cause decline of compressive strength in long period of time in case of every kind of cement. Performed examinations
are part of PhD thesis entitled ‘The possibility of early compressive strength enhancing of cements with ground granulated blast-
furnace slag addition’.
© 2017
© 2017TheTheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by Elsevier
by Elsevier Ltd. Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 18th International Conference on Rehabilitation and
Peer-review
Reconstructionunderofresponsibility of the organizing committee of the 18th International Conference on Rehabilitation and
Buildings 2016.
Reconstruction of Buildings 2016
Keywords: Hardening accelerating admixtures; ground granulated blast-furnace slag; compressive strength

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +48663767227

E-mail address: jan.pizon@polsl.pl

1877-7058 © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the 18th International Conference on Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Buildings 2016
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.04.545
206 Jan Pizoń / Procedia Engineering 195 (2017) 205 – 211

1. Introduction

Nowadays producers of fresh concrete and reinforced concrete precast elements wants to shorten time of curing.
This is beneficial for the sake of organization of building and manufacturing process. Constructional elements gain
strength faster. They can be demoulded, transported and loaded earlier. Economic benefits are gained because
formworks may be rent for shorter periods and moulds for precast elements may be filled up with next element
earlier so the production is more efficient.
There are many methods to shorten time of curing. First one is usage of Portland cement with hydration heat,
speed of set and hardening process and gaining strength and early strength is highest among all kinds of commonly
used cement [1, 2]. Unfortunately Portland cement does not satisfy sustainability conditions and manufacturers more
often use cements with mineral additives. Usage of blended cements is better for environment safety but it does not
lower the cement manufacturing process [3].
The shortening of curing time may be achieved by usage of hardening and set accelerating admixtures. Other
benefits are possibility of concreting during winter time. Some of such admixtures lower freezing point of water in
cement paste pores and enlarge temperature of fresh concrete by enhanced hydration heat exhale rate during the most
crucial phase of hardening, when the flexural strength is low and freezing water may destroy structure of concrete
from inside [4, 5, 6].
Besides obvious advantages showed before there are drawbacks of such admixtures. One of the most dangerous is
lowered final compressive strength in comparison with non-modified concrete [7]. European standard EN-934-2 [8]
for set accelerating admixtures requires compressive strength after 28 days to be at least 80 % of compressive
strength of reference concrete and at least 28th day compressive strength after 90 days. Compressive strength of
concrete modified with hardening accelerating admixtures is demanded to be not less than 120 % of compressive
strength of reference concrete after 24 hours in 20 °C and at least 90 % of one after 28 days. Some of those
admixtures may cause enhanced shrinkage or increased corrosion risk of reinforcing steel (especially chloride
compounds) or concrete (in terms of alkali-silica reaction) [3, 4, 9, 10]. Those dangers may be lowered by usage of
blended cements containing GGBFS. Mortars with such cement have lower size of air voids (the air content is
almost the same) in comparison to Portland cement ones. Cement matrix is tighter and the velocity of chloride ions
migration is lower.
Third possibility is lowering of water content. Compressive strength is in inverse proportion to water quantity [1]
Slag addition also improves workability, and connected with lowered water-cement ratio, may lead to additional
compressive strength improvement [1,11]. Although plasticizing agents may be required and initial setting time may
be delayed by secondary ingredients but summary hydration heat in first 41 hours is enlarged by usage of such
admixtures [6, 12, 13].
Performed examinations are part of PhD thesis entitled ‘The possibility of early compressive strength enhancing
of cements with ground granulated blast-furnace slag addition’.

2. Experimental

2.1. Range and target

The scope of performed experiments was to define the scale of the problem of lowered long-term compressive
strength by accelerating admixtures. Mortars were made of Portland cement and cement with GGBFS addition.
Tests were conducted in temperature of and 20°C. Mortars were examined after 28, 90, 180 and 360 days of curing.
Research consisted of compressive strength test of hardened mortars.

2.2. Materials

Table 1. Chemical composition and specific surface of CEM I and GGBFS.

 Jan Pizoń / Procedia Engineering 195 (2017) 205 – 211 207

Constituent CEM I 52.5R GGBFS

Ignition losses 1.95 -
Unsolved parts 0.42 -
SiO2 20.54 37.35
Al2O3 5.14 7.30
Fe2O3 2.63 1.22
CaO 64.12 43.90
MgO 1.36 5.73
SO3 2.69 0.62
Na2O 0.17 -
K2O 0.81 -
Cl 0.06 0.03
2
Blaine surface [cm /g] 4230 3870

Portland cement CEM I 52,5R obtained from one of the Polish cement plants and cement with regulated GGBFS
content (S) were used. Amount of GGBFS in mortars were 6 %, 20 % and 35 %. This is the normative range of
CEM II/A-S and CEM II/B-S. Chemical composition and Blaine’s specific surface of constituents are given in
table 1.
Sand for mortars preparation was standard graded, accordingly to EN 196-1.

Table 2. Admixture characteristics

Symbol Characteristics Dosage range [% c.m.] Dry mass [%]
CF Calcium formate based hardening accelerating admixture 0.2 – 5.0 50
CSH CSH crystal seeds based hardening accelerating admixture 2.0 – 4.0 20
CN Calcium nitrate based hardening accelerating admixture 1.0 – 3.0 <5
TEA Trietanolamine based hardening accelerating admixture 1.0 – 2.0 <5

Table 3. Composition of mortars

Cement GGBFS content Admixture type Adm. quantity w/c ratio
[% c.m.]
- - -
6, 20, 35% - -
- ACC1 – ACC5 50%
CEM I 52,5R 0.5
- ACC1 – ACC4 100%
35% ACC1 – ACC4 50%
35% ACC1 – ACC4 100%

Water-cement ratio was 0.5 for mortars without admixtures. Amount of water was reduced due to water content
in admixtures in mortars modified with admixtures. 4 types of non-chloride accelerating admixtures were used.
They were added in quantity of 50 % and 100 % of manufacturer recommended dosage. Portland cement mortar was
modified with 2.5 % (by cement mass) of calcium chloride – the most efficient accelerator for concrete – for
comparison of results with other admixtures. Calcium chloride usage is limited due to reinforcing steel corrosion
risk. Characteristics of accelerators are given in table 2.
Exact composition of mortars is given in table 3.
208 Jan Pizoń / Procedia Engineering 195 (2017) 205 – 211

2.3. Methods

Examinations were provided in accordance to standard EN 196-1:2006 Methods of testing cement, determination
of strength.
Components and surrounding temperature during samples forming was stable and equal to 20±1°C. Specimens
were cured in stable conditions of climatic chamber. Air temperature was equal to 20±1°C and relative humidity was
equal to 60%.

3. Results and discussions

Results for non-modified mortars are predictable. Compressive strength after 28 days is higher for lower ground
granulated blast furnace slag content. In later terms compressive strength of the specimen with 6% of GGBFS is the
highest. Compressive strength of mortar with 20% of slag is close to Portland cement one. Mortar with 35% of slag
obtains almost 28th day compressive strength of Portland cement one after 90 days (fig. 1). It can be said that mortar
with low addition of ground granulated blast furnace slag may successfully replace Portland cement mortars.

Fig. 1. Compressive strength of cement mortars without and with addition of 6, 20 and 35% of ground granulated blast furnace slag

Compressive strength of hardening accelerating admixtures modified Portland cement mortars after 28 days is
higher or similar to non-modified ones. This concern maximal dosage and half of it of admixtures based on calcium
formate, calcium nitrate, calcium chloride and CSH crystal seeds (ACC 1 – 3 and ACC 5). In case of TEA based on
(ACC 4) compressive strength is lowered (fig. 2 and 3). In longer terms increments of compressive strength is lower
in every case and strength itself is always lower than of non-modified mortar. It is noticeable that mortars modified
with admixtures ACC 1 and ACC 2 in half of maximal dosage reach similar compressive strength as calcium
chloride (ACC 5) modified mortars. CaCl is considered to be the most effective accelerating admixture.
 Jan Pizoń / Procedia Engineering 195 (2017) 205 – 211 209

Fig. 2. Compressive strength of Portland cement mortars with addition of half of maximal dosage of accelerating agents.

Fig. 3. Compressive strength of Portland cement mortars with addition of maximal dosage of accelerating agents.

The biggest decline of compressive strength is visible in TEA based admixture modified mortars (about 20%)
and the lowest for CSH crystal seeds (about 4%). Increase of admixtures dosage from 50% to 100% cause slight
enhancement of its effectiveness.
The effectiveness of admixtures in half of maximal dosage is significantly higher for cement with addition of
ground granulated blast furnace slag than in the case of Portland cement after 28 days. Compressive strength
increment is about 50% in case of calcium nitrate based admixture (ACC 3). It is shown on figure 4. For maximal
dosage of admixtures compressive strength is shaping in similar way (fig. 5).
210 Jan Pizoń / Procedia Engineering 195 (2017) 205 – 211

Fig. 4. Compressive strength of Portland cement mortars with addition of ground granulated blast furnace slag and half of maximal dosage of
accelerating agents.

In longer terms compressive strength is similar to non-modified mortars. Calcium nitrate (ACC 3) and CSH
crystal seeds (ACC 4) based admixtures cause enhancement of compressive strength of mortars in half of maximal
dosage. With addition of full dosage only the second one caused it. Calcium nitrate in full dosage causes decline of
compressive strength in comparison to non-modified mortar.
Cement with addition of 35% of ground granulated blast furnace slag obtains its final strength between 28 th and
90 day, unlike Portland cement mortars that obtain it before 28 th day (fig. 1). Up to 28th day hardening accelerating
th

admixtures have greater effectiveness than in case of Portland cement.

Fig. 5. Compressive strength of Portland cement mortars with addition of ground granulated blast furnace slag and maximal dosage of
accelerating agents.
 Jan Pizoń / Procedia Engineering 195 (2017) 205 – 211 211

4. Concluding remarks

In case of CEM I 52.5R decline of long-term compressive strength caused by hardening accelerating admixtures
is always visible but its scale is not very large and depends on type of admixture.
In case of cement with slag addition the decrease of compressive strength does not occur after modification by
accelerator based on CSH crystal seeds in both dosages and for calcium nitrate in half of maximal dosage.
According to statements above it is not allowed to say that every hardening accelerating admixture cause decline
of compressive strength in long period of time in case of every kind of cement.

References

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Granulated Blast Furnace Slag. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 161, 2016, p. 1070–1075
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[4] Ramachandran V.S.: Concrete admixtures handbook, Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, 1995.
[5] Kurdowski W.: Chemia cementu i betonu, Stowarzyszenie Producentów Cementu, Kraków, 2010.
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[8] PN-EN 934-2 Admixtures for concrete.

[9] Pizoń J., Łaźniewska-Piekarczyk B.: Domieszki przyspieszające dojrzewanie betonu - działanie, korzyści i zagrożenia, polski rynek. Magazyn
Autostrady 8-9/2014, p. 14-16.
[10] Gołaszewski J.: Domieszki do betonu. Rodzaje, efekty, zakres stosowania. Magazyn Autostrady 8-9/2015, p. 20-24.
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