UK cement plant locations
There are many cement plants operating throughout the UK as: kilns
For sole traders, students and anyone interested in concrete.
Blue tinge associated with ggbs
Concrete containing a blended cement of Portland cement and ground granulated blastfurnace slag (ggbs) will sometimes exhibit a blue tinge on the surface, after the form-face has been struck, during the first few days of exposure to air.
Mixing water for concrete
The standard for the requirements of the quality of water to be used in mixing concrete is BS EN 1008, Mixing water for concrete.
Aggregates – Tests for properties
The following Standards cover the properties of aggregates for concrete
Ultra High Performance Concrete (UHPC)
There is no codified definition of Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC), also referred to as Ultra high strength concrete (UHSC). However it is considered to be 
Polypropylene micro-fibres
Various types of short, chopped polypropylene fibres are available. Typically they may be added to concrete at a rate of about 0.9 kg/m3. Their primary role is to modify the properties of the fresh concrete. They increase the homogeneity of the mix, stabilising the movement of solid particles and blocking bleed water channels. This reduces the bleed capacity of the concrete and slows down the bleed rate, helping to reduce plastic settlement. The matrix of filements also helps reduce plastic shrinkage cracking which can occur when the concrete surface is allowed to dry out rapidly.
Dispensing admixtures
Admixtures are added to concrete in 
When to add admixtures
In general, for optimum performance, admixtures should be added at the end of the batching process along with some of the mixing water, never directly onto dry materials. The timing of the addition affects the performance and so it is important that the admixture is always added at the same point in the batching process to ensure consistent performance.
Storing admixtures
Admixtures are usually stored in bulk, in plastic tanks, metal tanks or barrels. Modern bulk plastic storage tanks are double-skinned to minimise the risk of leakage from a skin splitting. If doubled-skinned tanks are not used, the admixture storage area should be bunded to prevent spillage entering the water system.
Admixture health & safety
All the principal admixture companies supply safety data sheets for their products. These should be carefully checked and advice on handling passed to those working with the products.