ICT Blog
Insights for Concrete Producers
Field-tested guidance on admixture selection, production troubleshooting, and getting the most from every pour.
Admixture Selection
Choosing the Right Dry-Cast Plasticizer for Your Mix
How to evaluate plasticizers for block, paver, and segmental retaining wall production — and what to test for on the production floor.
Production Issues
Efflorescence Control: Best Practices for Manufactured Concrete
A practical guide to reducing primary and secondary efflorescence in block, paver, and segmental wall units.
Tech Shield
The Tech Shield System Explained
How pairing block and mortar admixtures creates a lifetime water-repellent barrier for single-wythe masonry walls.
Water Repellents
Integral Water Repellents: Comparing the Major Chemistries
Polymeric, stearate, and siloxane-based water repellents — what each does best, and how to pick the right one for your product line.
Release Agents
Release Agents and Mold Life: A Long-Term View
How the right release agent can extend the service life of dry-cast molds and reduce surface defects on finished units.
Production Issues
Set Retarders in Hot-Weather Production
Maintaining workability and finish quality when ambient temperatures push your mix past its comfort zone.
Accelerators
Accelerators for Cold-Weather Concrete Production
Selecting non-chloride accelerators to maintain cycle time without compromising long-term durability.
Sealers
Sealers and Topical Treatments: A Field Guide
When to apply a sealer, what to specify, and how to avoid the most common application failures.
Mix Design
A Mix Design Optimization Checklist
A short, plant-floor-friendly checklist to identify the highest-leverage changes in your current mix design.
Technical Services
Running an Effective In-Plant Admixture Trial
A simple, repeatable protocol for evaluating a new admixture without disrupting production.
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