Guidelines for fresh Techpozzo concrete
As Techpozzo is a fine material with perfectly spherical particle shape, it produces a more cohesive concrete mix, which looks drier than normal. Usually, Techpozzo concrete needs lesser fine aggregate as compared to pure ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT concrete in order to generate the best performance from the mix. As a thumb rule, every 10% of Techpozzo used needs about 0.5% reduction in fine aggregates in normal concrete. The exception is ‘Self Compacting Concrete’ where the mix is designed to be high in fine material to reduce mix segregation to ensure it is capable of flowing properly.

Techpozzo concrete visually appears more cohesive and less workable than pure ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT concrete. However, do not add water as this will reduce the strength and durability of the concrete. Because of the rounded shape of Techpozzo particles, when vibrated the concrete becomes highly mobile and moves readily within shutters.

Techpozzo reduces the rate of bleeding within concrete. Bleed water that collects at the surface of concrete results in a localized increase in the water/cement ratio, reducing the strength and durability. However, because less water rises with Techpozzo concretes they must be protected from excessive water loss especially in drying windy weather conditions. If the surface of any concrete dries out before sufficient strength has developed, early age drying shrinkage cracking may occur. Protection and curing should be carried out earlier to prevent cracking problems. Techpozzo concrete normally contains less water than the equivalent Ordinary Portland Cement concrete. If used with a water reducing admixture, e.g. plasticizer, the effect of reduced rate of bleeding is amplified. If retarding admixtures are used with concrete, the risk of early age drying, shrinkage and cracking increases.


Guidelines for Hardened Techpozzo concrete
Techpozzo reduces the amount of heat produced in comparison with Ordinary Portland cement concrete. In thick sections, this is a benefit and reduces the risk of thermal cracking. However, for thin sections excessive heat loss may reduce strength, e.g. in cold weather conditions. In cool or cold weather conditions concrete should be protected from heat loss both in the structure and for test cubes. Move test cubes to a heated room at 20 ± 5C after casting. Insulate your concrete to keep the chemical reactions going.

When stripping the shutters, if they are removed too early or if the surface of the concrete has been allowed to cool too much, a weak friable layer of concrete is removed leading to ‘scabbing’. Refer to your specification for the minimum stripping times.

In hot and drying weather conditions the importance of proper curing regimes cannot be overlooked. Any exposed surface should be allowed to dry out for at least 3 days – preferably longer. If kept in wet and warm conditions for long periods of time, Techpozzo concrete can produce highly durable concrete second to none.
Test cubes MUST be stripped after 24 hours and stored under water at 20 ± 5C; preferably at 20 ± 2C. Cubes must be fully compacted using a representative sample of the concrete taken throughout the discharge of the load. Take care not to use excessive amounts of mould oil in cube moulds and ensure the moulds are in good condition - they should be checked annually. Label your cubes so that errors do not occur but this should NOT be done by scratching the surface of the cube.

Personal Protective Equipment - PPE appropriate for normal concreting operations should be worn while working with Techpozzo concrete. 

General Structural Concrete
The optimum level of replacement of Cement with TECHPOZZO ™ within the concrete mix will be between 20 – 35% by weight for normal RCC structures.

It is a fact that the addition of TECHPOZZO ™ will have a plasticizing effect on your concrete and we would recommend that you reduce the total volume of water in the concrete by at least 5 – 10% to achieve the same workability as Portland cement concrete and to give the guarantee of strength. In addition you may find that reducing the amount of sand by 1 - 3% weight will be beneficial to the final mix.

In general there is a slight slowing down in the setting time of TECHPOZZO ™ concrete yielding slightly lower 7-days strength as compared to Ordinary Portland Cement Concrete. However the Techpozzo concrete can be designed accordingly to achieve appropriate 7- days or early strengths.

TECHPOZZO for Pre-cast/Pre-stressed Concrete Products
Production of pre-cast concrete products involves intricate, difficult patterns.  Techpozzo concrete mixes can help pre-casters solve challenges in many areas of production.

Pre-cast concrete products can be produced with or without reinforcement. Units typically consist of narrow, deep sections, which are heavily reinforced making concrete placement very difficult. Reinforcement typically includes the use of fibers, conventional reinforcing steel, and pre-stressing steel tendons, either pre or post tensioned or combinations thereof. Mixtures have enough workability to flow well under vibration and totally fill the form without segregation. Hand finishing is often required, requiring a mixture workable enough to allow for this kind of manipulation.

By definition, recast concrete products are cast and cured in other than their final position. This enables the use of reusable forms, which, due to economic concerns, are cycled as rapidly as possible. For this reason, these concrete products generally achieve their competitive position in the marketplace by using a limited number of forms within a short production cycle. Normal production schedules allow for one usage per day; however 10 to 12 hour schedules are common.  Accelerated curing, typically employed to enhance early age concrete strength for handling, shipping, and product utilization, accelerates the pozzolanic reaction of Techpozzo to help develop the necessary early strengths.

Concrete mixtures for these products are proportioned for high levels of performance at early ages. Compressive strengths of 3,500 - 5,000 Psi (24 to 28Mpa) are typically required at the time of form removal or stripping. These early concrete strengths are generally achieved with cementitious material contents of 600 to 750 lb/cy (355 to 445 kg/cm).  Conventional and high-range water reducing agents are often employed to attain workability with very low water content.  Non-chloride accelerating admixtures are also used when necessary. While the early strength gain characteristics of Techpozzo have generally been considered too slow for use in these mixtures, conditions are changing with the use of Techpozzo in these applications. As is true of all mixtures used in pre-cast concrete work, when mixture proportioning and curing procedures used produce adequate early strength of the turn-around time forms or molds  increased.

While early age strength levels are required for stripping and handling, higher strength levels are required for the ultimate use of the products. Techpozzo meets the ASTM C618 specifications required in the production of high strength concrete of 6,000 Psi and higher. The strength achieved from the use of 10% to 15% Techpozzo cannot be readily attained through the addition of a proportionate amount of cement.

Pre-tensioned hollow-core structural slabs are produced with no-slump concrete. It is consolidated and shaped as it passes through an extrusion machine. The particle shape of the coarse aggregate and the amount of fine aggregate are very important to workability.  Techpozzo is widely considered as a beneficial ingredient to increase the workability of dry, harsh mixes. Early strength performance of these mixtures uses Techpozzo closely with parallel mixtures for compressive strength.  No early reduction is apparent.

Although most concern is directed at obtaining desired early compressive strength, these concrete products must possess durability to resist destructive attack from numerous environmental factors. Techpozzo is seen as a major ingredient utilized in the production of durable concrete and as such should be included in any concrete subject to severe environments.

Using Techpozzo we achieve cost savings, It Increases workability of the mix

Other reasons for use of Techpozzo are:
1) Increased 28 day strength
2) Achievement of 3,500 Psi overnight
3) Better filling of voids
4) Reduction in permeability
5) Minimization of shrinkage

Techpozzo may also be valuable as a mineral admixture to enhance product quality.  When used in pre-cast concrete products it improves workability, resulting in products with sharp, distinctive corners and edges.  Techpozzo can also provide improved flow characteristics, resulting in products with better surface appearance. Better flow characteristics and workability properties achieved by using Techpozzo are particularly desirable for products with intricate shapes and surface patterns and for those that are heavily reinforced. Reduced costs associated with repair of surface defects can be attributed to the use of Techpozzo. 

Techpozzo for Pumped Concrete
Pumped concrete must be designed so that it can be easily conveyed by pressure through a rigid pipe or flexible hose for discharge directly into the desired area.  Techpozzo usage can greatly improve concrete flow characteristics making it much easier to pump, while enhancing the quality of the concrete and controlling costs.

Mix Homogeneity:  The designer must be aware of the need to improve the grade and maintain uniformity of the various materials used in the pumped mix in order to achieve greater homogeneity within the total mix. 

Three mix proportioning methods frequently used to produce pump able concrete are:

• Maximum Density of Combined Materials
  
• Maximum Density – Least Voids
  
• Minimum Voids – Minimum Area
  

Mixes must be designed with several factors in mind:

1. Pumped concrete must be more fluid with enough fine material and water to fill internal voids.
   
2. Since the surface area and void content of fine material below 300 microns control the liquid under pressure, there must be a high quantity of fine material in the normal mix. Generally speaking, the finer the material, the greater the control.
   
3. Coarse aggregate grading should be continuous, and often the sand content must be increased by up to five percent at the expense of the coarser aggregate, so as to balance the 500 micron fraction against the finer solids.

Techpozzo effectiveness:  Unfortunately, adding extra water and fine aggregate leads to a weaker concrete. The usual remedies for this are either to increase the cement content, which is costly, or to use chemical admixtures, which can also be costly and may lead to segregation in marginal mixes. There is another and far more effective alternative - TECHPOZZO.

There are many advantages to including TECHPOZZO in concrete mixes to be pumped. Among them are:

1. Particle Size: Techpozzo meets IS 3812 Specification with 66% passing the 325 (45-micron) sieve and these fine particles are ideal for void filling. Just a small deficiency in the mix fines can often prevent successful pumping.
   
2. Particle Shape: Microscopic examination shows most Techpozzo particles are spherical and act like miniature ball bearings aiding the movement of the concrete by reducing frictional losses in the pump and pining. Studies have shown that Techpozzo can be twice as effective as cement in improving workability and, therefore, improves pumping characteristics.
   
3. Pozzolanic Activity: This chemical reaction combines the Techpozzo particles with the calcium hydroxide liberated through the hydration of cement to form additional cementitious compounds which increase concrete strength.
   
4. Water Requirement: Excess water in pumped mixes results in over six inch slumps that will often cause material segregation and result in line blockage. As in conventionally placed mixes, pumped concrete mixes with excessive water also contribute to lower strength, increased bleeding and shrinkage. The use of Techpozzo in pumped or conventionally placed mixes can reduce the water requirement by 2% to 10% for any given slump.

Sand/Coarse Aggregate Ratio: In pumped mixes, the inclusion of liberal quantities of coarse aggregate can be very beneficial because it reduces the total aggregate surface area, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the available cementitious paste. This approach is in keeping with the “minimum voids, minimum area” proportioning method. As aggregate size increases, so does the optimum quantity of coarse aggregate. Unfortunately, this process is frequently reversed in pump mixes, and sand would be substituted with coarse aggregate to make pumping easier.  When that happens, there is a need to increase costly cementitious material to compensate for strength loss.  However, if Techpozzo is utilized, it’s unique workability and pump facilitating properties permit a better balance of sand to coarse aggregate, resulting in a more economical, pump able concrete.