Fundamental control of concrete rheology by optimising mixing energy and superplasticizer design

Since several decades, the introduction of superplasticizers in concrete has been beneficial from many points of view. The main contribution of these chemical admixtures comprises the readily improved workability of any cementitious material in construction industry. Moreover, the use of superplasticizers allowed to enhance the durability of the finally hardened concrete product which formed an additional argument to include this product in almost all concrete mix compositions today. However, the beneficial effect of these comb-like polymers should be considered in relation to their relatively high costs. Despite their growing deployment, the use of superplasticizers for the improvement of concrete workability has also exposed a gap in the control of concrete rheology. The main problem in this context arises from the lack of a fundamental flow controlling technology. Therefore, this research project aims at understanding the fundamental mechanisms behind concrete rheology during the transient state and it will focus particularly on the relation between the superplasticizer adsorption kinetics and the mixing energy. In the end, this would provide the technologists with reliable engineering tools to design much more efficiently in function of the customer demands.