TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Wolfram A1 - Sonebi, M. A1 - Brouwers, H.J.H. A1 - Kühne, Hans-Carsten A1 - Meng, Birgit T1 - Rheology modifying admixtures: The key to innovation in concrete technology - a general overview and implications for Africa T2 - Chemistry and Materials Research N2 - Innovative admixture technology has significantly widened up the ränge of possibilities of concrete engineers. For many decades the water to cement ratio (w/c) was the major influencing factor for the performance of concrete. Due to the need to adjust a consistency, which still allowed reasonable workability, the w/c was typically significantly higher than technologically reasonable. Rheology modifying admixtures Support adjusting the concrete consistency largely independent of the w/c. It was only after the invention of the first superplasticizers that modern concrete technology significantly evolved in terms of flowability, strength, and durability, and only due to the steady evolution of the technology modern innovations, such as Self-Compacting Concrete, Ultra-High-Performance Concrete, or Engineered Cementitious Composites were made possible. Today’s superplasticizers are extremely versatile and can be adjusted to individual technologicalspecifications. However, the other side of the coin of versatility is that cementitious Systems incorporating superplasticizers have become more sensitive against environmental influences, such as the environmental temperature, which may cause unwanted effects or demand for supplementary admixture use such as stabilizing admixtures. Hence, concrete mixture composition with admixtures demands for a high level of expertise and offen there is lack of awareness about the mode of Operation of rheology modifying admixtures among concrete technologists. The paper gives a comprehensive overview about rheology modifying admixtures such as superplasticizers or stabilizing agents, and how they can be used depending upon the application in the most favourable way. Based on experiences with the sub-Saharan African concreting boundary conditions, which exhibit many challenges in terms of environmental boundary conditions and construction site logistics, conclusions are finally drawn, how admixtures can be used in the most beneficial way to improve the concrete casting Situation. PB - International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works CY - New York, NY, USA KW - Rheology KW - Admixtures KW - Concrete KW - Superplasticizers KW - Polycarboxylate ether KW - Viscosity modifying agents PY - 2013 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-bam/frontdoor/index/index/docId/30948 AN - OPUS4-30948 SN - 2224-3224 SN - 2225-0956 VL - 5 SP - 115 EP - 120 AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany