Folsom Ready Mix offers many types of concrete mixtures for your small and large projects.

Admixtures
Admixtures are materials other than cement, sand, aggregates, and water that are added to concrete or mortar immediately before or during mixing to either modify the properties of hardened concrete or to ensure the quality of concrete during mixing, transporting, placing, and curing. Admixtures can be used to provide greater plasticity, workability and earlier levels of strength than from normal concrete.

Admixtures are classed according to function. There are five distinct classes of chemical admixtures.

• Air-entraining agents are liquid chemicals added during mixing to produce microscopic air bubbles in concrete.
• Water-reducing chemicals are used for two separate purposes: to lower the water content which increases strength; or to obtain higher slump using the same water content for pumping concrete or in hot weather.
• Retarding chemicals delay the initial set of concrete and are used; primarily in hot weather.
• Accelerating chemicals reduce the initial set time of concrete and are recommended in cold weather.

Supplementary cementing materials, also called mineral admixtures, contribute to the properties of hardened concrete through hydraulic or pozzolanic activity. Typical examples are natural pozzolans, fly ash, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, and silica fume, which can be used individually with Portland or blended cement or in different combinations.

These materials react chemically with calcium hydroxide released from the hydration of Portland cement to form cement compounds. These materials are often added to concrete to make concrete mixtures more economical, reduce permeability, increase strength, or influence other concrete properties. Fly ash, the most commonly used pozzolan in concrete, is a finely divided residue that results from the combustion of pulverized coal and is carried from the combustion chamber of the furnace by exhaust gases. Commercially available fly ash is a by product of thermal power generating stations.

Blast-furnace slag, or iron blast-furnace slag, is a nonmetallic product consisting essentially of silicates aluminosilicates of calcium, and other compounds that are developed in a molten condition simultaneously with the iron in the blast-furnace. Silica fume, also called condensed silica fume and microsilica, is a finely divided residue resulting from the production of elemental silicon or ferro-silicon alloys that is carried from the furnace by the exhaust gases. Silica fume, with or without fly ash or slag, is often used to make high-strength concrete.

Reinforcing fibers are added to the concrete mix to control shrinkage cracking, provide abrasion resistant, and in higher contents, improve the strength and toughness of the hardened concrete. Typical fibers for concrete include carbon, polypropylene, polyvinyl-alcohol [PVA], polymeric, and steel. The size, shape and type of material can be used to optimize the concrete for different applications. The newest generation of fibers-macrofibers-function as secondary reinforcement, but can also help with thermal cracking and increasing the flexural strength of the concrete. Unlike wire mesh or rebar, fibers are added directly into the mix and thus do not need to be placed into position. This creates a three-dimensional reinforcement system that may be able to replace the need for wire mesh.

Feel free to call us anytime at 916-355-0300 for more information or to place your order. One of our sales representatives would be happy to discuss your project needs with you.