Retracted: Effect of Penetron Admix on the Properties of Concrete

Abstract

Retraction of Paper entitled: ‘Effect of Penetron Admix on the Properties of Concrete’ (Authors: A S Cadersa* and D Zephir)
It has been brought to our attention by the CEO of the Penetron (Mauritius) Limited that Penetron Products were tested at the University of Mauritius and the results were published by the above authors without prior permission from the Company. After discussion with one of the authors, the CEO of the above Company and the representatives of University of Mauritius, it was agreed that the paper be removed from the databases, as it causes inconveniences to their American Partner, Penetron.

We hereby make a request for the above paper to be retracted from AJOL.

This research investigates the effects of the waterproofing admixture Penetron Admix on the fresh and hardened properties of structural concrete and assesses whether the product is suitable for use on construction projects in Mauritius. A grade 25 control mix (mix Y-0) and three mixes, each containing different percentages of admixture, were batched. The three mixes were labeled (Y-1), (Y- 2) and (Y-3) and contained 0.8%, 2% and 3% admixture by weight cement respectively. The water/cement ratio was kept constant throughout the experiments. The properties of concrete which are considered most useful on site, like workability, setting time and strength were investigated. The results showed that Penetron Admix enhanced the properties of the concrete. With the standard dosage of 0.8%, the characteristic strength of concrete at 28 days was increased by 15%. The optimum percentage of Penetron Admix for maximum strength, which is the most important concrete property, was found to between 2%- 2.2% by weight of cement. The permeability decreased drastically with the use of the product, namely 80% decrease at the standard dosage of 0.8% dosage. No major change was observed for the hardened density. The admixture also increased the workability and setting time of the fresh mix, but these effects were significant only with mixes containing 2% and 3% dosage.

Keywords: waterproofing admixture, structural concrete, effects on concrete properties