Application of Admixtures in Highway Bridge Construction

With the development of technological innovation and the summary of construction experience, the comprehensive performance of admixtures has been continuously improved. As far as the current highway and bridge construction is concerned, the commonly used admixtures for cement concrete include the following types.

Water reducing agent for concrete

The concrete water reducing agent is a common material in highway and bridge construction. Its application can optimize the comprehensive performance of cement concrete, enhance the fluidity of concrete, and promote its full play. Water reducer is mainly used in the construction of reinforced concrete, plain concrete, and other engineering projects. When using the water-reducing agent in construction, adaptability experiments should be carried out to ensure that it meets the requirements of the specification and can only be used after the quality is qualified. In addition, it is necessary to measure the pH, water reduction rate, density, and other indicators of the water reducing agent, and strictly carry out the design of the mix ratio according to the requirements of highway and bridge construction, so that it can better meet the needs of highway and bridge engineering construction. 

Air-entraining agent

The air-entraining agent can optimize the workability of cement concrete, minimize bleeding, prevent segregation, and enhance the durability and freeze-thaw resistance of cement concrete. Air-entraining agents are often used in concrete with severe bleeding and concrete with higher strength. Through the application of an air-entraining agent, the strength of cement concrete can be enhanced, the bending and tensile resistance of concrete can be improved, and the crack resistance of concrete can be improved, and its impermeability can be improved. In the construction, it is necessary to do a good job in the design of the mix ratio, pay attention to performance testing, and ensure that the quality is qualified before it can be used in highway bridge construction.

Retarder

The retarder can prolong the setting time of concrete, enhance the plasticity and strength of fresh concrete so that it can better meet the needs of construction. It is necessary to do a good job in the mixing work, strictly design the mix ratio, fully mix the mixing water and retarder, so that the retarder is fully dissolved, and the overall performance is improved so that it can play an effective role in the construction of highway bridges. Sodium gluconate in concrete is a very useful retarder in construction.

Pumping agent

The application of pumping agents in the construction of elevated highway bridges is relatively common. In order to alleviate the pressure of transportation and meet the needs of vehicle traffic, the number of various overpass projects is increasing. The overpass construction is a high-altitude operation, which increases the difficulty of concrete transportation and construction. In the past, the pumping method was commonly used to transport concrete. Although this method is reasonable, the pipeline may be condensed and the construction is often interrupted. The application of pumping agents can effectively reduce pipeline blockage, accelerate pumping speed, improve construction efficiency, and have a positive effect on concrete paving and maintenance construction. In addition, the pumping agent can also improve the fluidity of concrete, reduce or even avoid concrete condensation in the pipeline. It can also promote the improvement of the comprehensive performance of cement concrete, speed up the construction progress, and ensure the quality of the project.

Anti-crack waterproofing agent

Cracking of the bridge deck and the road surface is a common quality problem. Once this phenomenon occurs, it will often cause rainwater seepage, reduce the structural bearing capacity and road stability, and eventually cause quality problems such as potholes. In order to avoid the adverse effects of cracks on the quality of the bridge deck engineering and enhance the impermeability of the bridge deck, rational use of anti-crack waterproofing agents should be used in construction. The application of this technology can not only prevent the occurrence of pavement seepage and water leakage but also prevent cracks, which is conducive to the good performance and operation of highway and bridge projects.

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