Uğur Erşen Şenbil
Construction Chemicals R&D Manager
Ak-Kim Kimya Sanayi ve Tic. A.Ş.
Construction industry in Turkey retains its position to lead the national economy. Due to housing and social needs of the increasing population as well as the urban transformation projects, our country has much higher concrete production volume comparing to other countries. This has a direct impact on the production volume of concrete admixtures. Depending on the performance properties demanded for concrete, various types of concrete admixtures are used according to TS EN 934-2 standard. In this study, the trend of production volume of chemical concrete admixtures during the last five years in Turkey was analyzed with the data obtained from Turkey Concrete and Mortar Admixtures Association.
The names of any admixtures included in this study and the chart details in the standards are given in the table below:
Table 1: Details of admixture types and standards
There is not a separate chart for polycarboxylate (PC) based high range water reducer / super plasticizer admixtures in TS EN 934-2 standard; they are covered in Chart 3 + Chart 11. In order to observe the refraction of PC-based chemical concrete admixtures separately, this group will be indicated in such graphics; the amount indicated for that group is included in the YOSA/SA total amount.
1. 2015 Chemical Concrete Admixtures Production Data in Turkey:
In 2015, 473362 tons of chemical concrete admixture were produced. Concrete plasticizers (SA/A + YOSA/SA) constitute 86.3 % of this figure. Therefore, it is possible to say that the most needed group of chemical concrete admixtures is concrete plasticizer group. In the same group, high range water reducer / super plasticizer admixtures were produced 2.9 times more than water reducer / plasticizer admixtures. Production of PC-based YOSA/SA admixtures is about 30.0 % of the total production of YOSA/SA admixtures. Shotcrete admixtures were produced only 12.0 % of the total amount of admixtures, and the second mostly used admixture group after the group of plasticizer admixtures. Other admixture groups constitute 1.7 % of the total admixtures, and may be considered as minor groups comparing to the others.
Figure 1: 2015 chemical concrete admixtures production data in Turkey
2. 2016 Chemical Concrete Admixtures Production Data in Turkey:
In 2016, 558625 tons of concrete admixture were produced. Concrete plasticizers constitute 87.0 % of this figure. YOSA/SA group was produced 2.6 times more than SA/A group. Comparing to the previous year, despite an increase in production volume of both admixture groups, the increase in water reducer / plasticizer group was higher, and it is possible to conclude that the need of this admixture group was much higher in 2016. Production of PC-based YOSA/SA admixtures is about 38.0 % of the total production of YOSA/SA admixtures. It is noted that the need of PC-based admixtures was increased compared to the previous year. Shotcrete admixtures constitute 11.5 % of the total amount of production. Although there was an increase in quantity comparing to the previous year, it was less in percentage on the chart of total admixture production. Other admixture groups are 1.5 % of the total admixture production, and was reduced in proportionally despite a slight increase in production amount comparing to the previous year.
Figure 2: 2016 chemical concrete admixtures production data in Turkey
3. 2017 Chemical Concrete Admixtures Production Data in Turkey:
In 2017, 596540 tons of concrete admixture were produced. Concrete plasticizers constitute 86.3 % of this figure. YOSA/SA group was produced 2.6 times more than SA/A group. It is about the same level with the previous year, and the need to both admixture groups was increased correspondingly. Production of PC-based YOSA/ SA admixtures is about 40.0 % of the total production of YOSA/SA admixtures. Compared to the previous year, PC-based admixture production was increased; it is possible to conclude that the need to PC-based admixtures was increased. Shotcrete admixtures constitute 12.2 % of the total amount of production. Compared to the previous year, production was increased both in volume and proportion. Other admixture groups are 1.4 % of the total admixture production, and was increased slightly in volume comparing to the previous year.
Figure 3: 2017 chemical concrete production data in Turkey
4. 2018 Chemical Concrete Admixtures Production Data in Turkey:
In 2018, 581815 tons of concrete admixture were produced. Since 2015, it was a first to encounter a decline in total admixture production. Concrete plasticizers constitute 82.5 % of this figure. While YOSA/ SA production volume was 22.0 % less than the previous year, SA/A group was 31.0 % more than the same period. YOSA/SA group was produced 1.5 times more than SA/A group. In 2018, it was observed that there was more need to water reducer / plasticizer admixture group. Production of PC-based YOSA/SA admixtures is about 72.0 % of the total production of YOSA/SA admixtures. Production of PC-based admixtures were substantially increased compared to the previous year, and in the admixtures of the super plasticizer group, the need to PC-based admixtures was higher. Comparing to the previous years, this seems to be an important improvement. Shotcrete admixtures constitute 11.5 % of the total amount of production. Compared to the previous year, production was increased both in volume and proportion. Other admixture groups are 3.7 % of the total admixture production, and was increased substantially both in volume and proportion comparing to the previous year. Air entraining admixtures were increased 2.0 times, set accelerating admixtures 2.9 times, and water resisting admixtures 4.0 times compared to the previous year.
Figure 4: 2018 chemical concrete admixtures production data in Turkey
5. 2019 Chemical Concrete Admixtures Production Data in Turkey:
In 2019, 448470 tons of concrete admixture were produced. The production was decreased 22.9 % compared to the previous year, resulting in the lowest production volume of the last five years. Concrete plasticizers constitute 80.0 % of the total production. Both groups of admixtures declined both in volume and proportion. YOSA/SA group was produced 1.5 times more than SA/A group. Production of PCbased YOSA/SA admixtures is about 70.0 % of the total production of YOSA/SA admixtures. Shotcrete admixtures constitute 16.0 % of the total amount of production. Although the production volume was lesser than the previous year, it was the year when the proportion to the total admixtures was the highest in consideration of the last five years. Other admixture groups are 3.9 % of the total admixtures, and although the production volume was lesser than the previous year, it was the year when the proportion to the total admixtures was the highest in consideration of the last five years.
Figure 5: 2019 chemical concrete admixtures production data in Turkey
Conclusion and Review
• Turkey is the number one by far in Europe in terms of production of chemical concrete admixtures.
• The amount of production in the trend of increase as of 2015 encountered a decline for the first time in 2018, and experienced the lowest level in 2019.
• Within the last 5 years, the year of highest production amount was 2017.
• High range water reducer / super plasticizer admixture group was produced much more than water reducer / plasticizer admixture group each year.
• In the years 2015, 2016, and 2017, YOSA/SA group of plasticizers was produced 2.7 times more in average than SA/A group; whereas this figure was only 1.5 times in 2018 and 2019. In recent years, utilization of SA/A group admixtures were increased.
• Production of PC-based super plasticizers was higher every passing year compared to other type of super plasticizers, and resulted in the highest level proportionally in 2018 and 2019.
• While production of shotcrete admixtures was ever increasing from 2015 to 2018, there was a drop in production in 2019. Nevertheless, in 2019, its share in total admixture production reached to the highest level in the last 5 years.
• While the production of chemical admixture groups of air entraining, set accelerating, and water resisting was increasing in small amounts between 2015 and 2017, the increase acceleration in 2018 reached to its peak, and it was the year of highest production in terms of quantity. Despite the production amount declined in 2019, its share in total admixture production reached to its peak in the last 5 years.
Turkey is in an advance position of know-how, production, and application technology in terms of chemical concrete admixtures. It has the capability to produce any type of chemical admixture depending on the requirements of concrete performance. With this position, Turkey continues to be the most important player in the chemical concrete admixture industry.