EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON CONCRETE BY USING SUPER ABSORBING POLYMER

civil enfineering

The use of super absorbent polymer in concrete is proving to have many positive effects on the properties of concrete in its both stages; fresh concrete and hardened concrete. The super absorbent polymer absorbs water and converts it into gel, then releases it slowly with time. This study focuses on the use of an optimum amount of Sodium Poly-acrylate as a super absorbent polymer in ordinary plain concrete. One of the major improvements that the super absorbent polymer can contribute to the concrete is by providing internal water source. This internal water source acts as internal curing agent after the final setting of concrete. At the same time the super absorbent polymer releases water at relatively slower rate at the fresh concrete stage. Due to this internal curing, the strength of concrete increases. Already discussed, super-absorbent polymer absorbs water and forms a gel, when a crack in construction member (slab) occurs; the super absorbent polymer absorbs water and converts into gel for retaining permeability through crack to a member. As well as the subsequent crack gets prevented. Also, addition of Super plasticizer (SP) makes the water content decrease by 12-30% and makes concrete workable or flow-able. From the study of previous literatures, super absorbent polymer & SP gives better result of 0.4 % and 0.35% wt. of cement respectively. Thus, adding two admixtures in M30 grade of concrete for severe exposure, adopting various tests on fresh and hardened concrete. It helps to determine concrete performance like strengthening, serviceability, water reduction and internal curing. An amount of super absorbent polymer will leave the concrete with some number of voids, which in turn reduces the concrete strength and durability. Small amount of super absorbent polymer, on the other hand, will have negligible effect on the concrete performance. The amount of water added to the fresh concrete is one of the most important key factors that affect the concrete properties, including durability and strength. super absorbent polymer acts as a opposite effect, one is voids, affect the concrete strength inversely, second is super absorbent polymer causes internal curing which is done at the same time improves the concrete performance by improving the concrete workability and place-ability, reducing the concrete susceptibility to freezing thawing cycles, and improving concrete stability. The main focus of this study will be on the effect of the super absorbent polymer on the fresh concrete as well as the hardened concrete. Several batches will be prepared to determine the effect of the super absorbent polymer on concrete when subjected to compressive, tensile and flexural stresses.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.