Superplasticized concrete for hydroelectric projects
- Ebasco Infrastructure, New York, NY (United States)
Design engineers for concrete structures often specify admixtures (ingredients added to mixtures of concrete) for reducing demand for water by up to 5 percent. By reducing the amount of water needed to make concrete, engineers can improve the properties of the hardened product. One group of admixtures known as plasticizers has been used since the 1950s. In the 1970s, a new group of plasticizers known as superplasticizers emerged in North America. Superplasticizers, also known as high-range, water-reducing admixtures (HRWRAs), tend to disperse cement particles in the concrete mix and, therefore, impart extreme flowability (fluidity) to the concrete. Typically, HRWRAs reduce the demand for water beyond that of standard water-reducing admixtures by up to 20 percent. Not only are the superplasticized admixtures used for structural concrete in conventional structures such as bridges and building foundations, increasingly engineers specify their use in concrete for hydroelectric projects, including dams, spillways, prefabricated powerhouses, and tunnels.
- OSTI ID:
- 6933354
- Journal Information:
- Hydro Review; (United States), Journal Name: Hydro Review; (United States) Vol. 12:1; ISSN HYREE8; ISSN 0884-0385
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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