Product Review

New Admixture Solves Concrete's Weaknesses

Growing out of a class of oil-soluble rust inhibitors for motor oil and lubricants invented in the 1950s by Michael Rhodes, Hycrete is a waterborne surfactant (soap-like material) that reacts with calcium and similar elements in concrete to form a water-insoluble metallic salt with properties of a fatty acid. Hycrete provides waterproofing both by filling the pores in concrete and, because it is hydrophobic, by repelling water. Hycrete provides additional corrosion protection, the company claims, because its bipolar hydrocarbon chain chemically bonds with steel to form a protective layer on the rebar.

Hycrete has achieved Cradle to Cradle™ (C2C) certification from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC) as a “biological nutrient.” To achieve this certification, Hycrete must be safe to return to soil (see

This article is BuildingGreen Premium content

Two ways to read the full article and get CEUs:

Sign up for BuildingGreen Premium to access all our premium content

Join for just /month »

Purchase this article to get online access and a printable PDF.

Buy it now for  »

Already a premium member? Log in now

To read the full article, subscribe now to BuildingGreen Premium

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

LEEDuser tip sheets, written by our team of LEED experts, fill gaps in knowledge we’ve observed between the LEED Reference Guide, LEED Online, and LEED Interpretations. We update them regularly so that our members get the most relevant guidance for current issues on their projects.

( does not provide premium access to BuildingGreen)

Go premium for just  » Go premium for just  » Firm or campus members – click here »

Your 15-day free trial expired on

Already a premium member? Log in now

Published December 5, 2006

Atlee, J. (2006, December 5). New Admixture Solves Concrete's Weaknesses. Retrieved from https://www.buildinggreen.com/product-review/new-admixture-solves-concretes-weaknesses