Flowcable

Flowcable
A powdered admixture for the production of non-shrink, high strength grouts for post-
tensioned cables and fixing anchors or bolts in concrete or rock
Description and properties The main properties of grouts containing 6% of

Flowcable is a chloride free admixture in powder Flowcable, shown in Tables 1 and 2, can be
form. It is added at the rate of 6% by weight of summed up as follows:
cement to produce a flowable, pumpable, non-shrink • Very high flowability (as measured by the Flow
non-segregating, impermeable grout, providing high Cone Test) without bleed water or with a very low
strength and high bond to steel. The most important amount of it. The pumpability of the grout is
property Flowcable imparts to grout is the ability to assured for at least two hours at + 20°C.
protect cables against corrosion from aggressive • High mix water retention. This very important
agents and stress. property imparts high cohesion to the very
flowable mix. Under vacuum, of 600 mm Hg, over
Inadequate protection against corrosion offered by 90% of the water is retained by the flowcable.
normal grouts is due to: Inadequate water retention would allow water to
a) Excessive capillary microporosity due to high separate from solid components when the grout
water/cement ratio. Using Flowcable the is forced through strands of tendons.
water/cement ratio is reduced to 0.3;
b) High macroporosity caused by bleed water
collecting under strands and in the upper part of
the sheath (Fig. 1). When bleed water evaporates
and is reabsorbed by the cement paste, voids
form thus providing easy access for corrosive
substances. European recommendations on
prestressed concrete (FIP) prescribe that the Fig. 1
volume of bleed water must not exceed 0.5%. Section of sheath of post-tensioned cables filled with
With the use of Flowcable, the volume of bleed a cement paste showing bleeding water.
water is considerably lower: it ranges from 0 to a
maximum of 0.2% depending upon the type of Fig. 2
cement used; Section of sheath of post-tensioned cables filled with
c) Shrinkage of cement paste and consequent a cement paste containing Flowcable. No bleed
cracking. With normal cement grouts final water is observed.
shrinkage varies from 2 to 3mm. Flowcable
allows not only shrinkage to be eliminated
completely, but also slight expansion to occur
during setting and hardening.
Flowcable
Table 1 - Examples of properties of cement pastes containing 6% of Flowcable
Type of Water Flow-Cone Test (1) Bleed water (2) Water Expansion Setting times Specific
cement (sec) retention at 2 days at 30°C gravity
(3) (4)
% by weight of 0 30 1hr (% by volume) (%) (µm/m) (hrs:mins) (g/cm³)
cement and
FLOWCABLE
525 PTL 34.4 23 33 38 0.13 95.6 450 4:15 4:45 2.030
425 PTL (A) 33.6 23 25.5 34 0.03 97.2 700 4:35 5:05 2.020
425 PTL (B) 29.6 25 27 30 0.00 95.4 500 3:25 3:45 2.045
425 PTL (C) 30.4 25 31 33 0.10 96.0 500 4:15 4:55 2.050
325 PTL (A) 28.8 22 23 24 0.10 97.4 750 4:00 4:33 2.080
325 PTL (B) 29.6 23 25 28 0.12 94.0 600 3:47 4:15 2.075
325 Pozz 32.4 24 25 26 0.15 93.7 600 5:00 5:40 2.010
325 Slag 32.0 22 27 30 0.15 92.0 500 5:05 5:55 2.070
(1) Flow-Cone Test (conforming to CRD-C-79) after varying times of continuous mixing.
(2) Test conforming to ASTM C-232.
(3) Testing conforming to ASTM C-91: the value was taken after 5 minutes.
(4) Test conforming to ASTM C-878: no length changes were observed at later times.
Table 2 - Examples of strength and bond to steel of cement pastes containing 6% of Flowcable
Type of cement Strengths (kg/cm²) Bond to steel (1) (kg/cm²)
1 day 7 days 28 days 7 days 28 days
C F C F C F
525 PTL 323 42 528 50 619 52 180 185
425 PTL (A) 274 38 524 47 671 50 184 188
425 PTL (B) 231 40 534 65 632 70 200 209
425 PTL (C) 234 43 429 47 553 52 158 178
325 PTL (A) 222 42 372 50 531 55 170 188
325 PTL (B) 205 34 412 51 561 56 170 178
325 Pozz 168 32 428 60 570 63 183 190
325 Slag 160 30 410 55 580 65 165 175
(1) Pull-out test conforming to the standard prescribed by the RILEM-CEB-FIP Committee (1970)
C = Compressive strength; F = Flexural strength.
Flowcable
• Absence of shrinkage, and expansion ranging Start the mixer and add Flowcable (6% by the
from 200 to 800 µm/m depending upon the type weight of cement) followed by the cement.
of cement used. Mix for 3 minutes until a plastic and homogeneous
• Initial setting time in excess of 3 hours at +30°C. mixture is obtained. Add approximately 7 litres of
• High early and ultimate strengths: depending on water and mix for a further 2 minutes until the grout
the type of Portland cement used, strengths can is flowable, without lumps and the flow cone empties
range from 20 to 40 N/mm² at 1 day and from 50 in approximately 20 seconds. If a high speed mixer
to 70 N/mm² at 28 days. Slightly lower values is used (about 1500 r.p.m.) the total mixing time can
are obtained if pozzolanic or slag cements are be reduced from 5 to 3 minutes. The amount of
used. mixing water necessary by weight of cement and
• High bond to steel: after 7 days the value is in Flowcable is approximately 34% but can range from
excess of 15 N/mm². a minimum of 30% to a maximum of 38% depending
upon the cement used. Finely ground cement
Owing to its high flowability, a grout made with usually requires a higher amount of water. The grout
cement (95%) and Flowcable (6%) assures the thus obtained can generally be pumped for at least 2
complete filling of sheaths, especially among the hours, unless the cement used shows a rapid or
strands of cables. This ensures maximum false set.
protection of steel against corrosion caused by
aggressive agents. As this high flowability is Yield
obtained with a low water / cement ratio, the Approximately 68 litres of highly flowable grout are
hardened cement paste is dense, compact, obtained by mixing 100 kg of cement, 6 kg of
impermeable and, therefore, highly durable. On the Flowcable and 34 litres of water.
other hand, the high cohesion and fluidity of the
fresh mix, together with freedom from shrinkage, Precautions
prevents the formation of voids which are often The temperature of walls and spaces where the grout
responsible for the penetration of aggressive agents. is to be pumped should be between +5 and +40°C
for optimum results. If the temperature is outside
Fig. 2 shows a representative section of a sheath this range, consult your BASF CC SA
filled with a grout containing Flowcable. representative.
Packaging Flowcable is a chloride free product, which is

Flowcable is supplied in 15kg bags. specially important in the case of cables. However,
chlorides can be introduced into a mix if brackish
Mixing instructions water or special types of cement are used.
Introduce approximately 25 litres of water per 100kg Therefore, the use of drinkable water (generally
of cement into the mixer. containing less than 40 mg/l of chloride) and
chloride-free cements (Cl lower than 0.06% by
weight of cement) is recommended.
Flowcable
Though all Portland, pozzolanic or slag cements Note
may be employed, the use of Portland cement Type Field service, where provided, does not constitute
I and, preferably, Type III, is recommended in cold supervisory responsibility. For additional information
weather. contact your local BASF CC SA representative.
BASF CC SA reserves the right to have the true
Storage cause of any difficulty determined by accepted test
Store out of direct sunlight, clear of the ground on methods.
pallets protected from rainfall. Avoid excessive
compaction. Do not use if the bag is damaged or Quality and care
has been opened for more than 1 month. Failure to All products originating from BASF CC SA Dubai,
comply with the recommended storage conditions UAE facility are manufactured under a management
may result in premature deterioration of the product system independently certified to conform to the
or packaging. For specific storage advice consult requirements of the quality, environmental and
BASF CC SA Technical Services Department. occupational health & safety standards ISO 9000,
ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.
Safety precautions 01/95 BASF CC SA Revised 10/2006
As with all chemical products, care should be taken
during use and storage to avoid contact with the REQUEST AND REFER TO RECOMMENDED
INSTALLATION PROCEDURES FOR
eyes, mouth, skin and foodstuffs (which can also be
MASTERFLOW GROUTS PRIOR TO USE
tainted with vapour until product fully cured or dried).
Treat splashes to eyes and skin immediately. If
accidentally ingested, seek immediate medical
attention. Keep away from children and animals.
Reseal containers after use.
Whilst any information contained herein is true, accurate and represents our best knowledge and experience, no warranty is
given or implied with any recommendations made by us, our representatives or distributors, as the conditions of use and the
competence of any labour involved in the application are beyond our control.
As all BASF’s technical datasheets are updated on a regular basis it is the user's responsibility to obtain the most recent issue.
BASF Construction Chemicals South Africa (Pty) Ltd
P.O. Box 420, Westonaria, 1780 61 Brunton Circle, Founders Hill, Modderfontein, 1645
11 Pullinger Street, Westonaria, 1779 P O Box 75845, Garden View, 2047
Tel: +27 11 754 1343 Phone +27-11-452 6557
Fax: +27 11 754 1105 Fax +27-11-452 3595
e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: bas f [email protected]

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Flowcable

Description and properties The main properties of grouts containing 6% of

Packaging Flowcable is a chloride free product, which is

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