MC-Special DM is easy to use, either in the concrete batching plant or in a transit mixer at site

 Reinforced concrete is one of the most versatile and widely used construction materials on account of its constructability and durability. Its durability is severely affected due to its inherent formulation. Even M30 concrete has as much as 14-20 per cent pore volume, excluding air pores. Concrete contains these pores due to a generous addition of mixing water used to obtain a sufficient compactness and workability. Owing to these capillary pores, concrete is always pervious to water. For durability, it becomes imperative to protect concrete from ingress of water and an effective solution is integral waterproofing using MC-Special DM. This form of protection/waterproofing finds its extensive use in many applications such as basement slabs, walls, lift-pits, underground pipes, tunnels, manholes, dams and many more.

MC-Special DM is easy to use, either in the concrete batching plant or in a transit mixer at site. MC-Special DM should be added to the concrete after all other components of the mix have been added. Concrete should be mixed for at least a minute after addition of MC-Special DM. Dosage is economical at 1 per cent by weight of cement or at least 3 kg MC-Special DM per m3 of ready mixed concrete. Post addition of MC-Special DM to the concrete, the ensuing actions helps protect concrete against water ingress.

Reduction of capillary pores
Special additives in MC-Special DM make the concrete more workable (increases slump) at the same w/c ratio or provide a reduction in w/c at the same workability levels. This property helps concrete achieve excellent compactability thereby reducing capillary pores. Less capillary pores means less transport of water through the cement matrix, giving concrete an excellent first line of defence against water ingress.

MC’s revolutionary DySC technology
MC-Special DM uses advanced latent hydraulic and pozzolanic nanoparticles to ensure densest packing in the cement matrix on a nano scale. The cement matrix is therefore densified by a complex process called Dynamic SynCrystallisation (DySC). The strength and permeability of a cement-based material is based on hydration of the clinker components. The crystalline mineralisation process continues over time in presence of water, and the structure of the matrix becomes more refined, overall porosity decreases, micro-cracks are sealed and pore volume is minimised. This DySC process thus makes concrete watertight.

The result of these mechanisms has been verified in accordance with DIN 1048: Part 5: Testing water penetration into the concrete at varying pressure up to 5 bars. Results indicate that depending upon the concrete mix-design the water penetration under pressure is reduced by up to 60 per cent. In addition, similar tests for co-efficient of permeability for concrete treated with MC-special DM was reduced by up to 67 per cent as compared to control concrete.

Application areas
Basement slabs and walls
Cast structural slabs
Elevator pits
Concrete as well as deep pile foundations
Underground pipes and tunnels
Dams and swimming pools
Manholes
Water-retaining structures
Cooling towers
Podium decks
Outdoor balconies
Wet areas.

Therefore, with specialised mix designs and MC-Special DM, High performance waterproof can easily be envisioned for application into everyday construction. MC-Bauchemie (India) Pvt. Ltd. manufactures this product along with a host of other construction chemicals in technical and financial collaboration with MC-Bauchemie, Germany. MC-Bauchemie (India) Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001:2008 certified company.