Sungshin Cement and its subsidiary Sungshin Remicon announced on the 27th that they have obtained a technology certification from the Korea Concrete Institute for their “ultra-retention concrete” technology, which can maintain the fluidity of concrete for up to 5 hours.

The technology that received certification is titled “Slump and slump-flow retention concrete using a polycarboxylic acid-based and gluconate-based composite admixture for transportation and placement of up to 5 hours.” It applies a polycarboxylic acid-based high-range water reducer together with a gluconate-based retarder to maintain concrete fluidity and workability for up to 5 hours.

The Korea Concrete Institute evaluated that this technology meets the concrete technology standards set by the institute and granted certification. The certification is valid for 5 years, from the 25th of this month until August 24, 2031.

Recently, construction sites have seen more cases where the time from ready-mixed concrete production to actual placement has become longer due to traffic congestion, increased transport distances, and changes in construction schedules. In particular, during the high-temperature summer season, concrete fluidity can decline rapidly over time, making it important to maintain workability during transport, according to the company.

Taking such site conditions into account, Sungshin Cement and Sungshin Remicon developed ultra-retention concrete that maintains initial fluidity for an extended period while still allowing normal setting and strength development after placement.

Performance evaluations showed that workability was maintained for up to 5 hours even under high-temperature conditions, and that compressive strength 28 days after placement also met the design standard strength. The company stated that the product can be applied across a range of strengths from 24 MPa to 50 MPa, making it suitable for both building and civil engineering sites.

The actual applicability to field conditions has also been verified. Tests were conducted at Sungshin Remicon’s Guri plant and at large-scale construction sites in the Seoul area to check whether workability is secured even after a certain time has elapsed following production. Normal strength development after placement was also confirmed, according to the company.

The company expects that ultra-retention concrete can be used for projects requiring long-distance transport or extended waiting times on site, for continuous placement of large structures, and in high-temperature summer environments. It also anticipates improved on-site productivity and more efficient resource use by reducing concrete disposal and re-transportation caused by deteriorated workability.

A Sungshin Cement official said, “This technology certification recognizes our capability to secure concrete workability and quality in a stable manner over a longer period,” adding, “We will continue to develop high-performance concrete technologies tailored to the changing construction environment and customer needs.”

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