Sika develops and markets a complete range of admixtures and additives for use in concrete, cement and mortar production. These products enhance specific properties of the fresh and hardened concrete, such as workability, watertightness, durability, or early and final strength.

The demand for admixtures and additives is currently on the rise, particularly due to the increased performance requirements placed on concrete and mortar, especially in urban areas and for infrastructure construction. Furthermore, the growing use of alternative materials such as manufactu­red sands, alternative binders and supplementary materials in mortar and concrete, is increasing the need for admixtures.

Innovations

Extended workability, controlled over several hours, is especially important for urban construction sites with congested traffic, or remote areas resulting in long transportation times. At the same time, once the concrete is placed, fast curing is of utmost importance to meet tight construction schedules. Sika ViscoFlow® is workability enhancing admixture, based on a new in-house-developed polymer which significantly prolongs the workability time of the fresh concrete and still ensures equally fast strength development. The workability time can be modified in accordance with job site requirements.