ADMIXTURES AND HPC: A HAPPY MARRIAGE

The three major innovations in the concrete industry during this century have been: (1) the water-cement ratio (w/c) rule discovered by Duff Abrams; (2) the use of properly entrained air to provide resistance to freezing and thawing; and (3) the invention of the high-range water-reducing (HRWR) admixture that allows for great water reduction and/or significant slump increase. High-performance (HPC) is based on the proper utilization of all three of the above. The proper admixtures are essential for HPC in both the plastic and hardened state. The future of the concrete industry is dependent on a significant increase in the use of HPC so that concrete increasingly becomes the product of choice in buildings, infrastructure construction, environmental projects, highways, and pavements of all types.