Concrete Problems

Fact is, standard concrete just isn’t good enough. Almost as soon as standard concrete is placed, the process of degradation begins. Recent studies suggest that only about 75% of the cement powder is converted to Calcium Silicate Hydrate (CSH), the binder that glues concrete together. Most of the remaining 25% is converted to Calcium Hydroxide (CH), a by-product of the hydration reaction between water and cement—a by-product that has a tendency to create a host of problems that have a deleterious effect on the concrete’s long-term performance, and even its appearance. Adding a high-purity natural pozzolan to the concrete formulation mitigates or completely eliminates the CH problem. In fact, the pozzolan turns the CH into additional CSH, densifying the concrete and making it nearly impermeable.

While chemical resistance is perhaps the biggest benefit to adding pozzolan to concrete formulations, it is by no means the only gained advantage.

For example, in regions with reactive aggregate, alkali-silica reaction (ASR) is an ever-present problem. Quantifiable research has shown pozzolan-blended cement to be a highly effective mitigator of ASR.