08 October 2026

In ready-mixed concrete production, selecting the right concrete admixture is important, but storing and dosing that admixture correctly at the plant is equally critical for concrete performance.

A ready-mixed concrete admixture that performs successfully in laboratory conditions may fail to provide the expected results at the batching plant due to incorrect dosing, unsuitable storage conditions or equipment-related problems.

Even relatively small deviations in admixture dosage can affect concrete workability, slump-retention time, setting behavior, air content and strength development.

For this reason, the concrete admixture system should not be evaluated only as a chemical product. The complete system should include storage tanks, dosing pumps, automation, mix design, calibration and quality-control processes.

What Is Concrete Admixture Dosage?

Concrete admixture dosage refers to the amount of chemical admixture used for a specific amount of binder or concrete.

The dosage is generally determined according to the concrete mix design, cement characteristics, admixture properties and target performance.

Using the same admixture at the same dosage in different concrete classes or with different cements does not necessarily provide the same result.

For this reason, the actual dosage should be determined through laboratory and production trials using the real raw materials rather than relying only on the general dosage range stated in the product documentation.

What Problems Can Excessive Admixture Dosage Cause?

Using more admixture does not always mean better concrete performance.

Especially with high-range water-reducing or superplasticizing systems, excessive dosage may cause:

concrete to become excessively fluid, increased segregation risk, changes in setting behavior or unnecessary product consumption.

Depending on the chemical structure of the admixture, air content and early-age concrete behavior may also be affected.

The objective should therefore not be maximum admixture consumption, but the optimum dosage required to achieve the target performance.

What Can Happen If the Admixture Dosage Is Too Low?

Using less admixture than specified in the concrete mix can also result in significant performance losses.

Concrete may fail to reach the target slump, water demand may increase or slump retention may be shorter than expected.

If the operator attempts to correct this problem by adding extra water at the batching plant or on site, the designed water/cement ratio may change.

For this reason, insufficient admixture dosage should not be considered only a workability issue. It is a production problem that can affect overall concrete performance.

Why Should Concrete Admixture Dosing Systems Be Calibrated?

In ready-mixed concrete plants, admixtures are generally added to the mix through automatic dosing systems.

However, deviations in pumps, weighing systems or flow meters may cause the actual dosage to differ from the value shown on the automation screen.

For this reason, dosing systems should be checked and calibrated periodically.

For example, if the system indicates that 5 kg of admixture has been dosed but the actual quantity is 4.5 or 5.5 kg, this difference can significantly affect both concrete performance and total admixture cost in high-volume production.

Can Dosing Pump Problems Affect Concrete Performance?

Yes.

Irregular pump operation, air in the line, filter blockage or mechanical wear can affect dosing accuracy.

The admixture must be transferred to the concrete mixer at the correct time and in the correct amount.

Neglecting the maintenance of dosing equipment can create production problems that may not be visible in the mix design but later appear as performance issues on site.

For this reason, concrete admixture dosing equipment should be included in the plant's regular maintenance program.

Is the Timing of Admixture Addition Important?

Yes.

The stage at which a chemical admixture is introduced during the mixing process can affect concrete behavior.

Depending on the admixture technology, the product may be added with the mixing water, after a certain pre-mixing period or through another method suitable for the specific formulation.

An incorrect addition sequence may change the interaction between the admixture and cement particles and affect plasticizing performance.

For this reason, the dosing sequence should be determined according to the manufacturer's technical recommendations and actual plant trials.

Why Is Admixture Tank Cleanliness Important?

Different chemical admixtures do not necessarily have the same characteristics.

Transferring a new product into a tank that still contains a significant amount of a previous admixture may cause unwanted chemical interactions.

This can change product viscosity, homogeneity or application performance.

When switching to a new admixture, the condition of the tank and dosing lines should be checked and compatibility between products should be confirmed.

Special care should be taken when switching between different chemical technologies.

How Should Concrete Admixtures Be Stored?

Concrete admixtures should be stored according to the conditions specified by the manufacturer.

Extreme heat, freezing, direct sunlight or long-term storage under unsuitable conditions may affect the physical properties of some products.

Storage tanks should remain closed and clean to prevent contamination.

Product shelf life and recommended storage temperatures should also be monitored.

Can Cold Weather Affect Concrete Admixture Storage?

At low temperatures, the viscosity of some liquid concrete admixtures may change.

This can affect flow behavior through pumps and dosing systems.

Very low temperatures or unsuitable storage conditions may also cause physical changes in certain products.

For this reason, especially during winter, admixture tanks and dosing systems should be protected according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

This becomes particularly important for production continuity in regions with significant winter temperature drops.

Can High Temperatures Affect Admixture Storage?

During summer, outdoor admixture tanks exposed to direct sunlight can reach high temperatures.

An increase in product temperature may affect its physical behavior and flow through the dosing system.

At the same time, higher concrete temperatures may change the performance of the admixture inside the concrete.

For this reason, summer quality control should include not only concrete temperature but also chemical admixture storage conditions.

What Should Be Done If Sedimentation Appears in the Admixture Tank?

If unusual sedimentation, phase separation or a change in physical appearance is observed, the product should not automatically continue to be used.

The cause may be related to storage temperature, storage duration or contamination with another material.

The product specifications and manufacturer's recommendations should be checked.

Where necessary, technical support should be requested from the concrete admixture supplier to determine whether the product remains suitable for use.

Can Different Concrete Admixtures Be Stored in the Same Tank?

Different concrete admixtures should not be mixed in the same storage tank unless their compatibility has been technically confirmed.

Superplasticizers, set retarders, set accelerators, air-entraining admixtures and auxiliary admixtures may have different chemical structures.

Uncontrolled mixing can alter product performance or create physical problems inside the tank.

The storage and dosing infrastructure for each admixture system should therefore be planned according to plant conditions.

Does Admixture Density Affect Dosage Calculations?

Yes.

Product density becomes important when an admixture is dosed by volume rather than by mass.

If a dosing system works in liters and a new admixture is introduced without considering its density, the same volume may represent a different actual mass of product.

For this reason, when changing products, not only the admixture name but also its physical properties and the operating principle of the dosing system should be checked.

How Can Mix-Design Errors in the Automation System Be Prevented?

Ready-mixed concrete plants may store many concrete classes and different admixture formulations within the same automation system.

An incorrect product code, wrong dosage setting or use of an outdated mix design can cause serious deviations in production.

Mix-design changes should therefore be controlled by authorized personnel and recorded systematically.

Especially when switching to a new concrete admixture, all relevant mix designs stored in the automation system should be reviewed.

Why Should Admixture Consumption Be Monitored Regularly?

A continuous difference between theoretical consumption and actual tank consumption may indicate a problem in the dosing system.

For example, if the daily production volume indicates that 1,000 kg of admixture should have been consumed but the tank level shows a significantly higher or lower amount, the system should be inspected.

Regular monitoring of admixture consumption is important for both quality control and cost management.

It can help identify leakage, dosing errors or automation problems at an early stage.

How Can Ready-Mixed Concrete Admixture Cost Be Controlled?

The correct way to reduce admixture cost is not to reduce dosage randomly.

Insufficient dosage may negatively affect concrete performance and create much larger indirect costs.

The correct approach is to determine the optimum dosage through laboratory and production testing and then verify that actual consumption matches this target.

This makes it possible to control admixture cost per cubic meter of concrete more accurately.

Why Should Plant Trials Be Performed When Changing Admixtures?

A new concrete admixture may perform well in laboratory testing but still needs to be verified under actual plant conditions.

The mixing energy and mixing time of a laboratory mixer may differ from those of the full-scale plant mixer.

Actual production also includes additional stages such as dosing from the storage tank, transportation in the transit mixer and pumping on site.

Plant trials make it possible to observe how the admixture behaves within the complete production system.

What Is the Role of the Quality-Control Laboratory?

The laboratory at a ready-mixed concrete plant should not be considered only a department that measures compressive strength.

Regular monitoring of admixture dosage, slump, slump retention, concrete temperature, air content and mix-design changes is important for production consistency.

Cooperation between the laboratory and batching-plant production team allows deviations in admixture performance to be identified more quickly.

Why Is Technical Support from the Concrete Admixture Supplier Important?

A concrete performance problem does not always originate from the chemical admixture itself.

Dosing pumps, storage tanks, mixing sequence, cement changes or aggregate properties may all create similar performance issues.

For this reason, a concrete admixture supplier should provide not only product supply but also laboratory and field technical support.

Correctly identifying the source of the problem can prevent unnecessary product or dosage changes.

Storage and Dosing Control in Ready-Mixed Concrete Plants in Central Anatolia

Significant differences between summer and winter temperatures can occur in Central Anatolian cities such as Konya, Ankara, Kayseri, Aksaray, Karaman, Niğde, Nevşehir, Kırşehir, Eskişehir, Sivas and Yozgat.

These temperature variations can affect both concrete behavior and the performance of liquid concrete admixtures.

For this reason, when using ready-mixed concrete admixtures in Central Anatolia, attention should be paid not only to chemical performance but also to storage and dosing conditions at the plant.

Seasonal inspections can help support production continuity.

EMA Kimya Ready-Mixed Concrete Admixture and Technical Support Solutions

EMA Kimya provides professional concrete admixture technologies and technical support solutions for ready-mixed concrete plants, batching plants, precast and prefabricated manufacturers and large-scale concrete projects.

For superplasticizers, high-range water reducers, water-reducing admixtures, set accelerators, set retarders, air-entraining admixtures and auxiliary concrete admixtures, not only product selection but also dosage optimization, plant trials, production monitoring and cost analysis are important parts of concrete performance.

EMA Kimya's technical approach evaluates the entire process from the storage tank to the concrete mixer and focuses on achieving correct dosage, consistent production, controlled cost and target concrete performance together.

Selecting the right concrete admixture is important, but storing it correctly and dosing it accurately in every production batch are equally essential requirements for high-quality concrete production.