International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -0056 Volume: 03 Issue: 06 | June-2016 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 © 2016, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 4.45 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 121 Performance Assessment of Construction Chemical in Building Construction Anil Kumar Gupta, Rahul Satbhaiya M.Tech Scholar Dept. Of Civil Engineering, Infinity Management & Engineering College Sagar, M.P. India Head of Dept. Of Civil Engineering, Infinity Management & Engineering College, Sagar, M.P. India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract - - Today there is practically no concrete without admixtures or construction chemicals. They are used in concrete at the time of construction or during maintenance & repairs to produce several desirable properties. Twenty years ago, construction chemicals were rarely adopted in India, but today there is a great awareness among practicing Engineers, Contractors and Public about the use of construction chemicals. To suit the demand, in India, a number of companies are emerging in the field of construction chemicals. Plenty of such products are available in the market. But there are no specifications and standards about their usage. In the absence of these norms, the companies advertising their products as Hi-tech and Super stuff. The only literature available is the manufacturer’s brochures. Therefore the user finds it very difficult to choose a particular product. A comprehensive study about these chemicals was made in this work to evaluate their performance by conducting a series of laboratory tests. Several crores of rupees are being spent throughout the world on rehabilitation and restoration of structures. In traditional methods of repairs, the same problems may occur within a short span of time due to i) Inadequate bonding of new concrete to old concrete or new plaster to old plaster ii) Corrosion of reinforcement bars not being totally removed. Today, construction chemicals play a vital role in repairs. They provide a long-term solution in the rehabilitation of the distressed members. They bring the damaged members to the original state within a short span. For a particular admixture, there are plenty of market products available in the form of varied chemical bases. But the field user does not have the knowledge to select a particular product among this plethora of chemicals. This work aims at guiding the user in choosing the correct product. A series of laboratory tests were conducted to assess their performance. Thus, this work is aimed to be of immense use to the CIVIL Engineering profession and the society. Key Words: Waterproofers, Plasticisers, Superplasticisers, Lignosulphonate, phenolic, suiphonate 1. INTRODUCTION Construction Chemicals are the materials added to concrete at some stage in its making to modify the properties of fresh concrete viz., increasing workability, retarding or accelerating initial setting time, reducing segregation, improving pump ability, reducing the rate of slump loss, etc., or to produce the desired properties in hardened concrete viz., increased strength, decreased permeability, early strength development, increased durability, etc., They are used in concrete to make it more suitable for the work on hand or for economy or for achieving desirable results. Construction Chemicals play a vital role in making new constructions durable as well as in rehabilitating structures whose durability is in question. They are also used for repairs and maintenance. In traditional methods of repairs like re-plastering, jacketing, uniting, etc., the same problems may repeat in a short interval of time due to the inadequate bonding between old and new concrete/ plaster as well as due to incomplete removal of rust in steel. Today's scenario in the field of repairs encompasses the use of construction chemicals in the form of bonding agents, repair epoxy mortars, anti-corrosive coatings, etc., They provide an effective and long term repair solution to distressed R.C. members. At present, a large number of construction chemicals are available in the market in different forms to serve special requirements in construction. The classes of chemicals considered in the work are Water reducers (Plasticisers and Superplasticisers) Bonding agents Waterproofers (Integral waterproofers and surface coatings) they are widely adopted in construction/ repairs. The ICJ-RCH Bureau conducted a technical survey among practicing /charted Engineers, contractors and builders, architectural/engineering consultants, government departments, public sector undertaking. 87% of the respondents reported that they used water reducers to