Aju Industrial has developed a concrete manufacturing technology that can withstand both high temperatures and rainfall at the same time.
The company said on the 25th that the technology, called a concrete manufacturing method for hot and rainy conditions and jointly developed with Halla Encom, Asia Cement (183190) and Halla Cement, has received certification from the Korea Institute of Building Construction.
The certified technology is a heat-resistant concrete manufacturing method that keeps concrete workable for extended periods in high-temperature conditions and minimizes quality loss during rainfall. It combines a technique for maintaining the fluidity of concrete with one for curbing the material separation and loss of cement paste caused by rain.
In summer, rising temperatures speed up concrete's hydration reaction and increase moisture evaporation, making slump loss and reduced workability more likely. These problems grow especially severe in hot-weather conditions, when the daily average temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius or the peak temperature rises above 30 degrees Celsius within 24 hours after pouring.
The jointly developed technology applies a PCE-based dispersion-retention technique and glycol-based rheology control to keep concrete's fluidity stable even at high temperatures. It also improves resistance to scouring and material separation from rainwater inflow in rain of up to 3 millimeters per hour, reducing quality loss caused by precipitation.
In particular, the technology brings together "ultra-retention concrete," which maintains fluidity for long periods, and "rain-condition concrete," which reduces rain-related quality loss, into a single manufacturing system. This allows the required performance to be applied selectively depending on-site conditions such as temperature, transport and standby time, and whether it is raining.
The technology's real-world applicability was also verified. A comprehensive evaluation of slump, air content, unit water content and compressive strength through ready-mix batch plant production and mock-up testing showed that the target performance was met.
The ultra-retention concrete maintained workability for long periods under high-temperature conditions while showing stable strength development without excessive setting delays. The rain-condition concrete likewise confirmed its ability to suppress quality loss from rainwater inflow under simulated rainfall conditions.
An Aju Industrial official said, "As recent climate change has made summer concrete construction environments increasingly unstable, the need for technology that can respond to both high temperatures and rainfall at once is growing." The official added, "Based on this jointly developed technology, we will overcome weather constraints at construction sites and contribute to improving construction quality."
