Workability, Constructability, and Rheology
Since the development and use of modern chemical admixtures, the properties of concrete in fresh conditions are no longer exclusively governed by water and cement content. While project specifications very often prioritize concrete performance in hardened, the behavior of concrete mixtures in a fresh condition (i.e., during mixing, transport, pumping, placement and consolidation) is critical to a success of a construction project.
We can help you develop or optimize concrete mixtures for specific rheological performance such as low- or no-slump for roller compacted concrete or pavement construction, highly flowable mixtures for improved placement, pumping, and confined placement restrictions. Our experts can also help guide you through the construction process to ensure that your projects avoid common constructability pain points.
Troubleshooting
Many things can go wrong when concrete is in fresh condition: pumping issues, blockage and other placement issues, segregation, excessive air or workability loss, poor dispersion of concrete constituents such as fibers or silica fume, high formwork pressures, plastic shrinkage cracking and many others. CTLGroup’s experts have seen it all and can help you avoid or troubleshoot these issues.
We know how to optimize concrete mixtures to achieve the desired workability and fresh properties without compromising long-term durability performance or mechanical properties. We do not stop at the slump test – our state-of-the-art laboratories and field experts are equipped with the most recent technology and tools to directly measure concrete rheology, assess formwork pressures and other tools that will ultimately help you achieve just the right performance of the concrete mixture for your project.
