Concrete Additive

Microsilica, Fly ash, GGBFS, Sand, Cement, Aggregate

Microsilica

When added to concrete, CAD microsilica products act as micro filler, improving the physical structure by occupying the spaces between the cement particles. Additionally, these products act as a 'pozzolan’, reacting chemically to impart far greater strength, durability and impermeability to concrete.

When added to precast and ready-mixed concrete, microsilica helps produce high-performance and high-strength concrete with an increased life-span and improved structural economics.

Fly Ash

Fly ash is comprised of the non-combustible mineral portion of the coal consumed in coal fueled power plants. Fly ash particles are glassy and spherically shaped “ball bearings”, typically finer than cement particles, that are collected from the combustion air-stream exiting the power plant.

This recovered resource can be used to replace a portion of cement in concrete or added to mortars, stuccos and a host of other building materials.

GGBFS

GGBFS is a by-product of iron manufacture and is chemically very consistent. When iron ore, limestone and coke are heated to an approximate temperature of 1500°C in a blast furnace, they melt to produce two products which are molten iron and molten slag. The process of granulating slag involves cooling molten slag through high-pressure water jets. This rapidly quenches the slag and forms granular particles. The granulated slag is further processed by drying and then grounded to a very fine powder. This process is called ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS).

The use of CGGBFS as a partial Portland cement replacement takes advantage of the energy invested in the slag making process and its corresponding benefits with respect to the enhanced cementitious properties of the slag. Grinding slag for cement replacement requires only about 25 percent of the energy needed to manufacture Portland cement.