Concrete is one of the most popular and widely used materials in construction today and there are a number of different types of additives or admixtures that can be added to make concrete a bit more interesting and more suitable for specific uses.

Generally the most common types of concrete mix additives are ones that are used to enhance the workability, durability or early strength of the concrete, but they can also be used to add colouring or even waterproofing to the mix too. These admixtures are usually liquid and can be added in very small amounts whilst mixing the concrete.

Water reducing admixtures are often used to help reduce the water content in concrete, this will cause a reduction in shrinkage. However this can lead to a loss of strength and may not be suitable for some applications, so it’s important to know the differences between these types of admixtures before using them on your project.

Super plasticizer admixtures are another type of admixture that can be used to help increase the workability of your concrete. These admixtures are made up of chemical products that contain either formaldehyde derivatives or lignosulphonate compounds that reduce the water/cement ratio and can have many other benefits as well such as a reduction in shrinkage and increased strength.

Air releasing plastacizers are a fairly new type of admixture that can be added to your concrete, these plastacizers are basically foaming agents, they are able to introduce millions of tiny stable air bubbles into the concrete mix. This means that the concrete is much more workable and once cured it’s extremely durable.