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Description: Air entraining admixtures (vinsol or non-vinsol) are used in concrete mixes that will be exposed to freeze-thaw cycles. Entrained air is intended to improve the durability and resistance of hardened concrete to freeze-thaw cycles. However in many instances an unusually high loss of compressive strength has been observed in concrete mixes containing non-vinsol admixtures. Mixture forensic analysis has determined air-void coalescing to be the main factor in observed low compressive strengths.
Compressive strength losses due to air-void clustering can be costly to producers and contractors. Cases of this problem appear to have occurred at random and the cause of clustering has not been well understood. Recent work by CTLGroup and MSU have provided new insight on the cause(s) of this phenomenon. This thesis was developed as part of the educational requirements at Mississippi State University under a fellowship grant from the PCA Education Foundation.
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