What is concrete additive?

Admixtures for Concrete
Admixtures are those ingredients in concrete other than portland cement, water, and aggregates that are added to the mixture immediately before or during mixing. Admixtures can be classified by function as follows:
1. Air-entraining admixtures
2. Water-reducing admixtures
3. Plasticizers
4. Accelerating admixtures
5. Retarding admixtures
6. Hydration-control admixtures
7. Corrosion inhibitors
8. Shrinkage reducers
9. Alkali-silica reactivity inhibitors
10. Coloring admixtures
11. Miscellaneous admixtures such as permeability reducing, anti-washout, foaming, and pumping admixtures.

Concrete should be workable, finishable, strong, durable, watertight, and wear resistant. These qualities can often be obtained easily and economically by the selection of suitable materials rather than by resorting to admixtures (except air-entraining admixtures when needed).
The major reasons for using admixtures are:
1. To reduce the cost of concrete construction
2. To achieve certain properties in concrete more effectively than by other means
3. To maintain the quality of concrete during the stages of mixing, transporting, placing, and curing in adverse weather conditions
4. To overcome certain emergencies during concreting operations
Despite these considerations, it should be borne in mind that no admixture of any type or amount can be considered a substitute for good concreting practice.
The effectiveness of an admixture depends upon factors such as type, brand, and amount of cementing materials; water content; aggregate shape, gradation, and proportions; mixing time; slump; and temperature of the concrete.
Trial mixtures should be made with the admixture and the job materials at temperatures and humidities anticipated on the job. In this way the compatibility of the admixture with other admixtures and job materials, as well as the effects of the admixture on the properties of thefresh and hardened concrete, can be observed. The amount of admixture recommended by the manufacturer or the optimum amount determined by laboratory tests should be used.