Effect of water glass on early hardening of Portland cement

Abstract

In spite of extensive literature devoted to the use of water glass as an additive to Portland cement, there is no practical data concerning the influence of its small amounts on cement hardening and mechanical strength. Traditional methods for determination of the above mentioned parameters are non-effective at the early stages of hardening. Therefore in this case we offer to use a time point of the system transition from plastic to brittle state as an individual property of cement. Time position of the point can be determined by penetration, using the dependence of the hardening system cohesion strength on time.