Concrete is a durable building material that has many different applications.  Because it is such a versatile product, each mix must be unique to meet the specifications for the job.  As a concrete producer, you must be ready to meet these specifications and provide an excellent batch of concrete.  While every mix presents unique obstacles, perhaps the most challenging concrete mixes are the ones that require high early strength.

What is Early Strength

Unlike other building materials, concrete continues to build strength over time.  This phenomenon is due to a chemical reaction between the water and cement, known as hydration. This process will continue until all the cement and water particles have crystalized, which can sometimes take years.  Early strength concrete mixes speed up this process of crystallization to have a higher strength sooner in the hardening process.

How to Build Early Strength

While there are different ways to go about building early strength, they often require additional time, money, and materials.  Some early and high strength concrete mixes call for a lower water-cement ratio, using more cement and less water.  Not only does this increase the cost of your concrete, but it may also decrease the slump of your concrete beyond specifications. Some contractors will try to develop early strength by producing extra heat through insulation or by curing the concrete in an autoclave, which takes time and extra equipment.

Try a Better Solution

Fortunately, there is a better, more affordable way to increase early strength.  Fritz-Pak’s Non-Chloride Accelerator (NCA) is formulated to enhance the early strength of your concrete without the need for extra equipment or additional resources.  As an accelerator, NCA interacts with the materials in your concrete to speed up the crystallization that occurs during hydration, which in turn increases the rate at which your concrete develops strength for the first couple of days.  This ensures that the concrete will have high early strength without impacting the overall strength of the concrete structure.

Benefits of NCA

Using NCA to increase the early strength of your concrete can save you time, money, and materials.  It is especially beneficial when used for precast concrete pieces, as it protects the concrete from damage during transportation and storage.  For more information about NCA, you can browse our online catalog or give us a call at (214) 221-9494 to place your order today.