Speed hardening system improves tunnel construction

2645 BASF claims that its latest innovation will help improve efficiency in tunnel construction operations. Developed by BASF's Construction Chemicals division the new Crystal Speed Hardening system (CSH) is an advanced admixture technology aimed directly at the tunneling market. This product offers increases in efficiency for concrete casting, both for precast segments and cast in-situ linings. The fast-curing concept allows the removal of formwork at an earlier stage of the casting process and increases productivity. The product can shorten the length of time that formwork or shuttering has to be kept in position or by reducing the number of sets of formwork required. In addition to supporting efficiency, the system helps reduce CO2 emissions, optimises material use and meets high quality specifications according to the firm. It does so by providing high early strength development whilst balancing the requirement for an optimum mix through the use of more binding material and reduced clinker content.

The CSH concept uses a new hardening accelerator, X-SEED, to boost early strength development by modifying the action mechanism of cement hydration. X-SEED is made of suspended CSH-seeding crystals: the material added is of the same nature as the final hydration products from the cement reaction with water. As the suspended crystals are considerably smaller than microsilicas, the surface is much more beneficial for accelerating the crystal growth during the early stages of concrete hardening. The product has already been tried and tested in a number of tunneling trials. The abbreviation CSH also refers to calcium silicate hydrates; the cement hydration products responsible for the compressive strength of concrete. Hydration speed depends on the chemical composition of clinker and other cementitious materials. To simplify the science, by using BASF's X-SEED admixtures, a liquid suspension of synthetic crystal seeds on the nano scale, the growth of calcium silicate hydrate crystals is significantly accelerated.