Never add liquid soap to concrete! I tell you why

From many self-builders, and builders too, you can hear information that there is a cheap way to make concrete mortar more plastic. It's about detergents. Soap and washing powders are credited with magical properties, supposedly allowing you to remove air from the mixture, increase adhesion with fittings and reduce the amount of mixing water. As a result, concrete will become stronger and more durable. And also home "chemists" assure that the composition of the soap is practically the same plasticizer, only ten times more expensive. Why not add soap to the concrete mix will be told by our interlocutor Andrey.

Do it for him

This method is widely used by hired teams, which thus facilitate their work. For example: a little soap makes the plaster more plastic and easier to work with; concrete mix with the addition of soap is easier to pour, especially in reinforced structures. The main thing for them is to hand over the object, having invested less labor. And they don't care about the quality and what will happen in the future with the foundation, plaster or masonry mortar. And also some manufacturers of paving slabs do not disdain this "technological method". The "soapy" mixture sticks less to the molds and there is no need to waste time and money on cleaning them. And the forms last longer, in contrast to the products made in them.

What is a plasticizer and what is soap?

Plasticizers are based on polycarboxylates. These substances are actually used in household detergents. They soften water, increase the effectiveness of surfactants and prevent dirt from re-settling on the treated surfaces. In these substances, there are practically no chlorides (salts of organic compounds and salt deposits), which negatively affect the quality of concrete.

But in addition to polycarboxylates, detergents contain in large quantities: chlorides; Surfactants (anionic and nonionic); propylene glycol, which is a solvent; ammonium; sodium lauryl sulfate; sodium chloride; various fragrances and much more. It is these substances that will act as concrete destroyers, significantly reduce its strength and shorten its durability. Simply put, for one component useful for concrete, the detergent contains ten more harmful ones.

What you get when you add soap to concrete

But the main pests for concrete that are contained in detergents are foaming agents and substances that improve foaming. That is, the presence of soap in the cement slurry will promote active foaming, which means that the mixture, after hardening, will turn into heavy foam concrete (concrete with a porous structure). Soap does not remove any air from the mixture - it, on the contrary, draws it in and distributes it evenly over the concrete. As a result, the porosity of concrete increases, it becomes more brittle, and the presence of chlorides and other substances in it significantly reduces its quality and service life. High porosity of concrete is an increase in moisture absorption and a decrease in frost resistance.

Do not add detergents to the concrete slurry if you want to increase the flowability of the mix and obtain maximum strength. Better buy the simplest plasticizer - there is no problem with that now.

Have you added soap to concrete? Write the result in the comments.

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