Benefits of Air Entrainment in HPC

This paper describes how the development of air-entrained concrete in the mid-1930s was one of the greatest advances in concrete technology. Air-entrained concrete contains small and stable air bubbles that are uniformly distributed throughout the cement paste. Air-entrained concrete is produced through the use of either air-entraining portland cement or air-entraining admixtures. Benefits of entrained air are apparent in both the fresh and hardened concrete. The most important benefit in concrete is the improved freeze-thaw resistance of hardened concrete that is exposed to freezing and to deicing chemicals while critically saturated. In fresh concrete, workability is improved and bleeding is reduced.