Concrete water reducer is a type of concrete admixture, whose core function is to reduce the amount of mixing water without altering the workability (fluidity, cohesiveness, water retention) of concrete; or to significantly enhance the fluidity of concrete while maintaining the same water content, thereby improving the workability and mechanical properties of concrete.
Classification of core functions
Water-reducing effect (the most basic function)
While ensuring the concrete slump (a fluidity index) remains unchanged, the mixing water can be reduced by 10%–30%.
When the water-binder ratio (the ratio of water to cementitious materials) is reduced, the internal porosity of concrete decreases, resulting in a denser structure. Ultimately, this significantly enhances the durability properties such as compressive strength, impermeability, and frost resistance.
Plasticizing effect (fluidization effect)
If the water consumption remains unchanged, the slump of concrete can be increased to over 180mm (even reaching a state of high fluidity and self-leveling) after the addition of a water reducer.
This effect makes concrete easier to pump, pour, and vibrate, especially suitable for the construction of large-volume concrete, pumped concrete, and complex components with dense reinforcement, avoiding defects such as incomplete vibration, honeycombing, and pitted surfaces.
Save cement
Under the premise of maintaining the strength and slump of concrete, reducing water consumption can simultaneously decrease cement consumption (typically by 5%–15%), lower engineering costs, and reduce the heat of hydration of cement, thereby mitigating the issue of temperature cracks in massive concrete.
Improve the durability of concrete
Water reducing agents optimize the internal pore structure of concrete, reducing interconnected pores, effectively enhancing the impermeability, sulfate resistance, and carbonation resistance of concrete, and prolonging the service life of concrete structures.