Method for setting desired properties of curable adhesive compositions

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for determining respective proportions of at least two, in particular three, different additives to be added to a curable adhesive composition in order to set a desired property of the curable adhesive composition, the method comprising the steps of: a) capturing and / or determining: at least one component parameter; the component parameters characterize chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable adhesive composition; at least one treatment parameter characterizing a desired treatment property of the adhesive composition during treatment; and at least one exposure parameter characterizing conditions under which the adhesive composition will be exposed in the cured state; and optionally, at least one environmental parameter characterizing environmental conditions during manufacturing, transportation, application and / or curing of the adhesive composition; b) for each of the at least two additives, deriving a proportion of the respective additive on the basis of a predetermined functional relationship defined such that the proportion of the additive can be calculated on the basis of the parameters determined in step a); c) obtaining the proportion of each of the at least two additives derived in step b) by means of a user interface, by means of a machine interface and / or on a data storage medium.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a computer-implemented method for determining the respective proportions of at least two, in particular three, different additives to be added to a curable binder composition in order to set the desired properties of the curable binder composition. Background Art

[0002] In the construction industry, curable binder compositions (such as mineral binder compositions) are widely used in various applications. Examples of such compositions are mortar, concrete, grout, or screed compositions.

[0003] The main components of curable mineral binder compositions are mineral binders, such as cement-based binders, optional aggregates, and water. Similarly, curable organic binder compositions based on organic binders (such as polyurethanes and / or epoxides) can be produced. Also, curable binder compositions based on mixtures of mineral and organic binders are known.

[0004] In addition to the main components, additives are used in curable binder compositions in order to adjust the physical and / or chemical properties of the curable binder composition during processing and / or in the cured state. Usually, additives are liquid or powder substances which are added in small amounts to the curable binder composition. Now, a wide range of different additives is available. Additives are selected, for example, from plasticizers, air-entraining agents, defoamers, retarders, setting accelerators, hardening accelerators, water-repellent agents, or shrinkage-reducing agents, etc.

[0005] Although the use of additives allows the curable binder composition to be customized according to specific needs, the selection of the correct additives with the appropriate dosages for a given application is a rather complex process that requires a great deal of technical experience.

[0006] This is particularly true for concrete producers (such as manufacturers of ready-mixed or precast concrete), who need to provide different concrete mix designs in order to meet the different requirements of various customers and address various applications. Usually, the design of a concrete mix takes into account various factors, including cement type, aggregate type and ratio, water-to-cement ratio (w / c), chemical additives, air properties, placement method, and / or many other factors.

[0007] In this regard, US2020 / 0402619 A1 (Verifi LLC) discloses, for example, a method for managing a mix design catalog of a concrete producer, which is based on identifying clusters of slump curve data obtained in the monitoring of the transportation of concrete for each concrete load manufactured from various mix designs, and ranking each curve cluster based on selection factors desired by the concrete producer. This helps the concrete producer's ability to organize, manage, and select mix designs from a large catalog of concrete mix designs, and ultimately reduces the number of mix designs that need to be considered to meet the expectations of a given project requirement, thus concentrating the information for each given mix design and ultimately resulting in less overdesign. However, this method hardly reduces the complexity of each individual mix design.

[0008] US2011 / 0320040 A1 (GR 2008 LLC) relates to a method for manufacturing concrete, and more particularly, to a method for adjusting the rheological properties of concrete in a premix truck or stationary mixer by calculating an incremental dose of a rheology modifier by referring to a nominal dose-response curve. Thus, in particular, the method for adjusting the rheology of concrete only requires initially selecting a load size and a target rheology value, without the need to input and consult a lookup table of parameters such as water and degree of hydration, mixing components, temperature, humidity, aggregate components, or others. However, this method is limited to determining the amount of a single type of additive in order to control the rheology of concrete in a workable state.

[0009] Therefore, managing mix designs and storing and handling many additives remains a significant challenge, especially for mortar or concrete producers. Thus, there is still a need for new and improved solutions that overcome the above disadvantages as much as possible. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved solution for producing a curable binder composition (especially a curable mineral binder composition) having predetermined properties. Preferably, the solution should allow for providing a curable composition having desired handling properties that can withstand preselected environmental conditions. Thus, a curable binder composition having as wide a range of properties as possible and as few additives as possible should be obtainable.

[0011] Surprisingly, it has been found that these objects can be achieved by the method according to independent claim 1.

[0012] Specifically, according to the present invention, there is provided a computer-implemented method for determining the respective proportions of at least two, especially three, different additives to be added to a curable binder composition in order to set the desired properties of the composition, the method comprising the following steps:

[0013] a) Capture and / or determination:

[0014] - At least one component parameter that characterizes the chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable binder composition;

[0015] - At least one processing parameter that characterizes the desired processing properties of the binder composition during processing; and

[0016] - At least one exposure parameter that characterizes the environmental conditions to which the binder composition will be exposed in the cured state; and

[0017] - Optionally, at least one environmental parameter that characterizes the environmental conditions during the manufacture, transportation, application, and / or curing of the binder composition;

[0018] b) For each of the at least two additives, derive the proportion of the corresponding additive based on a predetermined functional relationship, where the predetermined functional relationship is defined such that the content of the additive can be calculated based on the parameters determined in step a).

[0019] c) Obtain the proportion of each of the at least two additives derived in step b) via a user interface, via a machine interface, and / or on a data storage medium.

[0020] Thus, even with a very limited number of additives, the inventive concept is capable of providing a curable composition with desired processing performance that can meet the desired requirements in the cured state. However, the processing performance can be adjusted within a wide range, and the composition can be adjusted to meet various requirements.

[0021] In particular, not many additives are required. On the contrary, two or three additives are usually sufficient to set the desired properties within the range of practical interest. This is a great surprise. So far, it has been believed that setting the desired properties of a curable composition requires many different additives.

[0022] Furthermore, due to considering at least one component parameter, fluctuations in the quality of raw materials (such as cement and / or aggregates) can be directly compensated to maintain constant properties of the binder composition during processing and in the cured state.

[0023] Also, different environmental conditions during the manufacture, transportation, application, and / or curing of the binder composition can be directly compensated. For example, real-time adjustment of additives due to different temperatures at different job sites can be achieved. This enables the properties of the curable binder composition to be kept constant throughout the process from manufacture to processing and curing, and to be substantially independent of environmental conditions.

[0024] Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that this is due to the fact that the proportions of the respective additives are derived in a predictable manner based on a predefined functional relationship. This allows the proportions of the additives to be adjusted in a highly targeted manner and a curable binder composition having the desired properties and constant quality to be obtained.

[0025] The contents determined by the method according to the invention can be provided to the user, for example, via a user interface. The user can then add the additives in the corresponding proportions to the curable binder composition. Also, the contents determined by the method according to the invention can be directly used for the automatic control of the production of the curable binder composition, for example, the production of concrete in a concrete plant. Thus, the determined contents can be transferred via a machine interface to an automatic additive supply device.

[0026] A further aspect is described below and is the subject of a further independent claim. Particularly preferred embodiments are outlined throughout the description and the dependent claims.

[0027] Ways of implementing the invention

[0028] A first aspect of the invention relates to a computer-implemented method for determining the respective proportions of at least two, in particular three, different additives to be added to a curable binder composition in order to set the desired properties of the composition, the method comprising the following steps:

[0029] a) Capturing and / or determining:

[0030] - at least one component parameter which characterizes the chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable binder composition;

[0031] - at least one processing parameter which characterizes the desired processing properties of the binder composition during processing; and

[0032] - at least one exposure parameter which characterizes the environmental conditions to which the binder composition will be exposed in the cured state;

[0033] - optionally, at least one environmental parameter which characterizes the environmental conditions during the manufacture, transport, application and / or curing of the binder composition;

[0034] b) For each of the at least two additives, deriving the respective proportion of the additive based on a predefined functional relationship, wherein the predefined functional relationship is defined such that the content of the additive can be calculated based on the parameters determined in step a).

[0035] c) Obtain the proportion of each of the at least two additives derived in step b) via a user interface, via a machine interface, and / or on a data storage medium.

[0036] "Curable binder" refers to a material that can undergo a chemical reaction to harden into a solid. Generally, the curing of a curable binder is initiated by mixing with a hardener (such as water), by heating, by irradiation, and / or by exposure to moisture. Thus, a "curable binder composition" is a composition that includes at least a curable binder.

[0037] For example, the curable binder can be selected from reaction resins, mineral binders, mineral binder compositions, or mixtures thereof.

[0038] In particular, the reaction resin is a liquid or liquefiable synthetic resin that hardens into a rigid body by polymerization or addition polymerization. For example, unsaturated polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, acrylic resins, epoxy resins, polyurethane resins, and / or silicone resins can be used.

[0039] "Curable mineral binder composition" refers to a material that includes at least a mineral binder and can be cured by a chemical reaction to form a solid after adding and mixing water. In particular, it contains a binder, aggregate, and / or one or more additives. The aggregate can be, for example, gravel, sand (in natural and / or treated forms, such as crushed form), and / or filler. During the treatment process, in particular, the mineral binder composition is a fluid mineral binder composition mixed with mixing water.

[0040] The term "mineral binder" particularly refers to a binder that reacts in the presence of water in a hydration reaction to form a solid hydrate or hydrate phase. This can be, for example, a hydraulic binder (such as cement or hydraulic lime), a latent hydraulic binder (such as slag), a pozzolanic binder (such as fly ash), or a non-hydraulic binder (such as gypsum or white lime).

[0041] In particular, in addition to at least two, especially three different additives to be added to the curable binder composition in the method of the present invention to set desired properties, for a given curable binder composition, the contents of other components of the curable binder composition are preferably pre-determined and remain constant during the process of the method of the present invention.

[0042] However, for different applications, working specifications, and / or fluctuations in raw materials, the contents of other components of the curable binder composition can be adjusted, and the method of the present invention can also be carried out using these contents.

[0043] In particular, the predetermined functional relationship used in step b) is related to a specific mixing design. The mixing design refers to the composition of the curable binder composition relative to all components (except for the at least two, in particular three, different additives that are to be added to the curable binder composition to set the desired properties of the curable binder composition), at least two, in particular three.

[0044] The capturing and / or determination of the parameters in step a) is performed, for example, by manually entering the corresponding data, by reading in the corresponding data through a machine interface, and / or by reading the corresponding data using a sensor.

[0045] The sensor should be understood in a broad sense and represents a device capable of determining a specific parameter in step a).

[0046] The sensor is particularly selected from (i) sensors capable of determining the chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable binder composition, and / or (ii) sensors capable of measuring environmental conditions during the manufacture, transportation, application, and / or curing of the binder composition.

[0047] For example, sensors capable of determining the chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable binder composition are particle size sensors, particle shape sensors, and / or sensors for measuring the alkali content.

[0048] In particular, sensors capable of measuring environmental conditions are selected from sensors capable of determining temperature, humidity, solar irradiance, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric composition, altitude, and / or other weather parameters at the production site of the curable binder composition, at the location during the transportation of the curable binder composition, at the location of intermediate storage of the curable binder composition, and / or at the location where the curable binder composition is applied.

[0049] Furthermore, the sensor can be a traffic sensor, for example, capable of measuring the traffic density and / or average speed of vehicles on the transportation route during the transportation of the curable binder composition.

[0050] In addition, the capture and / or determination of the parameters in step a) can be achieved by reading in the corresponding data through a machine interface. The parameters captured and / or determined in this way can be obtained from sensors and / or in the form of processed data, such as data provided online in a computer network, such as data provided on an Internet website. The latter can be, for example, traffic data and / or weather data. In particular, in step a), at least one parameter (especially at least one environmental parameter) is measured using a sensor and / or calculated from sensor data. Thus, in particular, the sensor is located in the delivery device of the curable binder composition, in the temporary storage location of the curable binder composition, and / or in the application location of the curable binder composition.

[0051] In particular, for manually entered data, a user interface can be provided that queries at least one parameter (especially all parameters). In this case, in step a), the parameter can be captured through the user interface (especially through a graphical user interface).

[0052] Thus, in particular, the user interface is configured such that for at least one parameter, especially for all parameters, a pre-determined list of selectable parameters is presented to the user.

[0053] In particular, in step a), the input data is restricted to parameters that are compatible with a given mixing design of the curable binder composition. This can be achieved, for example, by rejecting incompatible parameters and / or by restricting the list of optional parameters to compatible parameters.

[0054] In particular, each of the at least two additives is associated with its own functional relationship. This can be used to separately derive the proportion of each additive in step b).

[0055] According to a preferred embodiment, in step b), the functional relationship for each additive is selected from a list of different pre-determined multivariable functions having at least two variables, wherein the selection of the functional relationship is made according to at least one exposure parameter; and at least one component characteristic and at least one processing parameter and optionally at least one environmental parameter are used as variables in the selected multivariable function to calculate the corresponding additive content. In other words, in this case, the exposure parameter determines which functional relationship to use in step c).

[0056] In particular, at least one component parameter, at least one environmental parameter, at least one processing parameter, and / or at least one exposure parameter are all represented by numerical values. However, the parameters can be captured in the form of strings and / or symbols and later assigned numerical values. This will be particularly convenient for the user to manually capture the corresponding parameters.

[0057] Preferably, the functional relationship is based on the following linear combination: (i) at least one component parameter, (ii) at least one processing parameter, and optionally (iii) the product of at least one component parameter and at least one processing parameter and / or at least one environmental parameter. A linear combination refers to an expression constructed by multiplying each term in a set of terms by a constant and adding the results. This relationship has proven to be very suitable for determining the content of the additive from the considered parameters.

[0058] In particular, the functional relationship is defined as follows:

[0059] c i = c o + a i ·CP + b i ·PP and / or c i = c o + a i ·CP + b i ·PP + c i ·CP·PP,

[0060] and / or

[0061] c i = c o + a i ·CP + b i ·PP + d i ·ENP and / or c i = c o + a i ·CP + b i ·PP +

[0062] c i ·CP·PP + d i ·ENP,

[0063] where c i = the proportion of the i-th additive, where i = 1, 2, 3,...; c0 = a constant value; a i , b i , c i , d i = the coefficients of the linear combination; CP = the component parameter represented by a numerical value; PP = the processing parameter represented by a numerical value; ENP = the environmental parameter represented by a numerical value.

[0064] However, other functional relationships can also be used.

[0065] In particular, a functional relationship is obtained before step a), in particular by means of regression analysis. In particular, the functional relationship, in particular the constants of the functional relationship, is obtained by performing a regression analysis on a set of data points that includes the proportion of the additive as the independent variable and at least one component parameter, and optionally at least one environmental parameter, and the measured processing parameter and exposure parameter as the dependent variable.

[0066] However, other methods for determining the functional relationship can also be used, such as machine learning methods.

[0067] In particular, at least one component parameter characterizes:

[0068] - the type of cement used in the curable binder composition, in particular a cement type according to DIN EN 197-1:2011, ASTM C150 or CSA A3000-08, in particular a cement type selected from the types CEM I, CEM II, CEM III, CEM IV, CEM V or CEM VI; and / or

[0069] - the alkali content of the binder (in particular cement) used in the curable binder composition; and / or

[0070] - the particle shape and / or size of the aggregate used in the curable binder composition,

[0071] In particular, the shape is selected from round or crushed.

[0072] These component parameters generally have a significant impact on the processing and / or durability of the curable binder composition (in particular the curable mineral binder composition). However, alternatively or additionally, other component parameters can also be considered.

[0073] In particular, at least one desired processing parameter is selected from rheological properties. In particular, at least one desired processing parameter reflects the desired consistency of the curable binder composition according to DIN EN 206:2021, in particular the desired slump class, compaction class, flow class, or slump-flow class. However, alternatively or additionally, other processing parameters can also be considered.

[0074] In particular, at least one desired exposure parameter reflects the desired exposure class according to DIN EN 206:2021, in particular selected from the classes XO, XC1, XC2, XC3, XC4, XS1, XS2, XS3, XD1, XD2, XD3, XF1, XF2, XF3, XF4, XA1, XA2, XA3. However, alternatively or additionally, other exposure parameters can also be considered.

[0075] In particular, at least one environmental parameter reflects the temperature, humidity, solar irradiance, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric composition, altitude, and / or other weather parameters at the location where the curable binder composition is produced, during the transportation of the curable binder composition, during the intermediate storage of the curable binder composition, and / or at the location where the curable binder composition is applied.

[0076] Furthermore, at least one environmental parameter can reflect the time between the production and application of the curable binder composition, the time of transporting the curable binder composition, the time of intermediate storage of the curable binder composition, and / or the traffic conditions during the transportation of the curable binder composition, for example, the traffic density on the transportation route and / or the average speed of vehicles during the transportation of the curable binder composition.

[0077] In particular, at least one environmental parameter reflects at least the environmental conditions at the location where the curable binder composition is applied, especially at the work site. Even more preferably, at least one environmental parameter additionally reflects the environmental conditions during transportation and / or intermediate storage, and more preferably also reflects the environmental conditions during the manufacture of the curable binder composition. This ensures that the curable binder composition has the correct properties for the specific conditions of the work site.

[0078] Preferably, the curable binder composition is a curable mineral binder composition, especially a curable mortar, concrete, or grout composition.

[0079] The mineral binder comprised in the curable mineral binder composition is preferably selected from the group consisting of: cement, gypsum, calcined lime, slag and fly ash, and mixtures thereof. The curable mineral binder composition preferably comprises at least one hydraulic binder, preferably a cement-based binder.

[0080] The hydraulic binder is preferably selected from the group consisting of: Portland cement, calcium aluminate cement, calcium sulfoaluminate cement, and mixtures thereof.

[0081] The cement used can be any available type of cement or a mixture of two or more types of cement. Examples are cements classified according to DIN EN 197-1: Portland cement (CEM I), Portland composite cement (CEMII), blast furnace slag cement (CEMIII), pozzolanic cement (CEMIV), and composite cement (CEM V). Cements produced according to alternative standards (such as ASTM standards or Indian standards) are of course equally suitable. Particularly preferred are cements according to DIN EN 197-1, calcium sulfoaluminate cement, calcium aluminate cement, or mixtures thereof, optionally mixed with calcium sulfate.

[0082] Most preferably, it is Portland cement or a cement comprising Portland cement according to DIN EN 197-1. Portland cement is particularly easy to obtain and allows for the production of mortars with good properties.

[0083] Also particularly suitable is a mixture of Portland cement, calcium aluminate cement, and calcium sulfate, or a mixture of cement and calcium sulfoaluminate cement. Such binder mixtures allow for short setting times and high early strengths.

[0084] The curable composition preferably further comprises aggregate, particularly mineral aggregate. Aggregate is chemically inert solid particulate material and can be obtained in various shapes, sizes, and as different materials (ranging from very fine sand particles to large coarse stones). All aggregates commonly used in concrete and mortar are in principle suitable.

[0085] Examples of particularly suitable fillers are rock particle size debris, gravel, sand (especially silica sand and limestone sand), crushed stone, calcined pebbles, or lightweight fillers (such as expanded clay, expanded glass, foam glass, pumice, perlite, and vermiculite). Other preferred aggregates are calcium carbonate, alumina, amorphous silica (silica fume), or crystalline silica (quartz powder).

[0086] In particular, the at least two, particularly three different additives are selected from the following: plasticizers, thickeners, air-entraining agents, defoamers, retarders, accelerators, hardening accelerators, water repellents, or shrinkage reducers.

[0087] In particular, the number of additives to be added to the curable binder composition to set the desired properties is limited to two, three, or four different additives. In particular, there are three different additives.

[0088] In particular, there are three different additives, including: a plasticizer, a retarder, and an air-entraining agent.

[0089] Examples of suitable plasticizers include lignosulfonates, sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde condensates, sulfonated melamine-formaldehyde condensates, sulfonated vinyl copolymers, polyalkylene glycols with phosphonate groups, polyalkylene glycols with phosphate groups, polycarboxylates, or polycarboxylate ethers, or mixtures of said plasticizers; polycarboxylate ethers are understood to include comb-shaped polymers having anionic groups on the polymer backbone and polyalkylene oxide side chains, and in particular, the anionic groups are selected from carboxylate groups, sulfonate groups, phosphonate groups, or phosphate groups.

[0090] For example, the retarder is selected from lignosulfonates, hydroxycarboxylic acids and their salts, phosphonates, sugars and sugar derivatives, and / or borates.

[0091] The air entraining agent is selected, for example, from surfactants, resin soaps or mixtures thereof, wherein the air entraining agent is preferably a surfactant. As rosin soaps, in particular, soaps of natural resins are suitable, such as tall oil, gum rosin or wood rosin, and their derivatives, such as maleic acid adducts. The resin soap can be obtained by saponifying the natural resin with an alkali, such as by generating an alkali metal hydroxide. The surfactant can be, for example, an anionic, cationic, non-ionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant, or a mixture of these surfactants. A variety of surfactant types with different structural types are known to be used as air entraining agents and are commercially available.

[0092] The method of the present invention can in principle be carried out on any kind of computer device and / or control unit.

[0093] According to a particular embodiment, the method is carried out on a mobile computer device. In this context, a mobile computer device particularly refers to a handheld computer, i.e., a computer small enough to be held and operated in a person's hand. In particular, it is selected from mobile phones, mobile computers or portable computers. This allows the user at the construction site to directly find the correct proportions of at least two different additives for obtaining a curable binder composition with suitable properties for a given application.

[0094] In another preferred embodiment, the method is carried out within the control unit of a machine configured to produce a curable mineral binder composition, such as a mixing device for preparing a premixed mineral binder composition and / or precast concrete, such as in a concrete plant.

[0095] Specifically, the method can be implemented in various ways, for example, in the form of a stand-alone application running on a mobile device and / or the control unit of a machine, without the need for any other resources, such as a server system. This is particularly useful in areas with limited access to a communication network (such as away from city centers or underground). However, the method can also be implemented in a distributed computing environment, for example, the distributed computing environment includes a combination of a mobile device and / or a control unit as a client and a dedicated server and / or a dedicated processing unit as a storage unit.

[0096] Furthermore, the method of the present invention can be implemented in a flexible manner using known software architectures, such as as a native application, a progressive web application (PWA), or a hybrid application (a combination of native and PWA). Accordingly, useful internet links to tutorials or support sites and sharing features (e.g., via email, Bluetooth, AirDrop, or other communication means) can also be included in such applications. Also, the method of the present invention can be implemented in a single application, or it can be divided into two or more separate applications with suitable software interfaces for data exchange between the two or more separate applications. Moreover, the application can be extended with additional features in a flexible manner.

[0097] The application can be implemented for any kind of operating system, such as iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, and / or Linux.

[0098] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a curable binder composition having predetermined desired properties, the method comprising the following steps:

[0099] (i) providing a curable binder composition, in particular a mortar, concrete, or grout composition;

[0100] (ii) providing at least two, in particular three, different additives, which will be added to the curable binder composition of step (i) in order to obtain a curable binder composition having the desired properties;

[0101] (iii) determining the respective proportions of at least two, in particular three, different additives to be added to the curable binder composition according to the method as described above;

[0102] (iv) adding the at least two, in particular three, different additives to the curable binder composition using the proportions determined in step (iii).

[0103] Accordingly, the curable binder composition and the additives are defined as described above.

[0104] At least one component parameter used in step (iii) is a component parameter of the curable binder composition provided in step (i).

[0105] Optionally, at least one environmental parameter used in step (iii) is in particular the temperature at the location where the curable binder composition is produced and / or at the location where the curable binder composition is applied.

[0106] In particular, before and / or during step (i), at least one component parameter and optionally at least one environmental parameter are determined, in particular by measurement. This can be achieved, for example, by measuring the corresponding parameters of a component before mixing it with the other components of the curable binder composition. At least one environmental parameter can be obtained, for example, using the sensors described above.

[0107] The method can be carried out as a batch process or as a continuous process. Thus, steps (i) to (iv) can be carried out sequentially, in particular in a given order, or at least partly simultaneously.

[0108] In particular, in a continuous process, at least steps (i), (ii) and (iv) (preferably all steps (i) to (iv)) are carried out continuously and preferably simultaneously. In other words, in a continuous process, the curable binder composition and at least two, in particular three, different additives are provided continuously, and the latter are added continuously to the curable binder composition in the proportions determined in step (iii).

[0109] Thus, step (iii) can be carried out once or repeatedly. Repeating step (iii) has, for example, the advantage that fluctuations in the properties and / or quality of the components and / or fluctuations in environmental conditions during the manufacture, transport, application and / or curing of the curable binder composition can be compensated for by adjusting the proportions of at least two additives. In this case, at least one component parameter and / or at least one environmental parameter are repeatedly (in particular continuously) determined (in particular measured) during step (i).

[0110] The proportions of at least two additives can be adjusted in real time based on at least one component parameter and / or at least one environmental parameter. This is particularly advantageous when producing premixed compositions and / or precast concrete in a concrete plant.

[0111] Step (iv) is preferably carried out in a mixing device.

[0112] In particular, in step (iv), each of at least two, in particular three, different additives is added to the curable binder composition, in particular to the mixing device, using a separate additive supply device. The additive supply device includes, for example, a container for the additive, a controllable valve for adding the additive to the curable binder composition, and optionally a flow meter for measuring the amount of additive added.

[0113] The addition of the additives using separate additive supply devices is preferably automatically controlled based on the proportions of each of at least two additives determined in step (iii). However, manual control of the supply devices is also possible.

[0114] In particular, the method is carried out for the production of ready-mixed concrete and / or precast concrete, especially in a concrete plant.

[0115] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing a curable binder composition having predetermined desired properties, especially a curable mortar, concrete or grout composition, especially ready-mixed concrete, and thus the method is especially carried out in a concrete plant. The method comprises the following steps:

[0116] (i) Providing a curable binder composition, especially a mortar, concrete or grout composition;

[0117] (ii) Providing at least two, especially three, different additives;

[0118] (iii) Using a computer-implemented method to determine the respective proportions of at least two, especially three, different additives to be added to the curable binder composition in order to set the desired properties of the curable binder composition. The method comprises the following steps:

[0119] a) Capturing and / or determining:

[0120] - At least one component parameter that characterizes the chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable binder composition;

[0121] - At least one processing parameter that characterizes the desired processing properties of the binder composition during processing; and

[0122] - At least one exposure parameter that characterizes the conditions to which the binder composition will be exposed in the cured state;

[0123] - Optionally, at least one environmental parameter that characterizes the environmental conditions during the manufacture, transportation, application and / or curing of the binder composition;

[0124] b) For each of the at least two additives, deriving the proportion of the respective additive based on a predetermined functional relationship, where the predetermined functional relationship is defined such that the proportion of the respective additive can be calculated based on the parameters determined in step a).

[0125] c) Obtaining, via a user interface, via a machine interface and / or on a data storage medium, the proportion of each of the at least two additives derived in step b).

[0126] (iv) Adding the at least two, especially three, different additives of step (ii) to the curable binder composition of step (i) using the proportions determined in step (iii).

[0127] All of the embodiments described above also relate to this aspect.

[0128] Another aspect of the invention is a computer program or a computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer device, cause the computer device to perform the method described above.

[0129] Another aspect relates to a system comprising a computer device, the system being configured to perform the method described above. In particular, the system is a control unit of a concrete plant.

[0130] According to example embodiments, other advantageous embodiments of the invention are apparent. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0131] The drawings used to explain the embodiments show:

[0132] Figure 1 is a flowchart of a computer-implemented method of the invention for determining the respective proportions of two or three different additives to be added to a curable binder composition (such as a concrete composition) in order to set the desired properties of the curable binder composition;

[0133] Figure 2 is a schematic view of an apparatus for producing a curable binder composition (such as a concrete composition) using the method of the invention;

[0134] Figure 3a a, b are user interfaces of a computer program running on a mobile computer device implementing the method of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0135] Figure 1 A flowchart of a computer-implemented method 10 of the invention is shown, which method is for determining the respective proportions of two or three different additives to be added to a curable binder composition (such as a concrete composition) in order to set the desired properties of the curable binder composition. Thus, all other components of the curable binder composition are predefined except for the two or three different additives to be added.

[0136] In a first step 11, component parameters CP, environmental parameters ENP, process parameters PP and exposure parameters EP are captured, for example via a graphical user interface which is configured such that for all parameters, a list of pre-determined options is presented to the user.

[0137] The component parameter CP characterizes, for example, the particle shape of the aggregate (e.g., round or crushed) or the alkali content of the binder used in the curable binder composition. The environmental parameter ENP is, for example, the temperature at the location where the curable binder composition is applied and is selected from three typical temperature ranges. In particular, the processing parameter PP slump is selected from slump categories (e.g., S1, S2, S3, or S4). The exposure parameter EP can be the desired exposure category (e.g., XO, XC1, XC2, XC3, XC4, XS1, XS2, XS3, XD1, XD2, XD3, XF1, XF2, XF3, XF4, XA1, XA2, XA3). In step 11, CP, ENP, PP, and EP can be automatically converted into numerical values.

[0138] In the second step 12, for each of at least two or three additives, the proportion of the corresponding additive is calculated based on a predetermined functional relationship FR. The predetermined functional relationship FR determined in advance by testing is, for example, stored in the storage unit M and is represented by a type formula, which is: c i = c0 + a i · CP + b i · PP + d i · ENP and / or c i = c0 + a i · CP + b i · PP + c i · CP · PP + d i · ENP (where c i = the proportion of the i-th additive, where i = 1, 2, 3,...; c0 = a constant value; a i , b i , c i , d i = the coefficients of the linear combination; CP = the component parameter represented by a numerical value; PP = the processing parameter represented by a numerical value; ENP = the environmental parameter represented by a numerical value).

[0139] Specifically, in the first sub-step 12.1, the content c1 of the first additive A1 (e.g., a plasticizer) is calculated by selecting a predetermined functional relationship based on the exposure parameter EP. By considering the component parameter and the processing parameter in the predetermined functional relationship, the content of the additive A1 can be directly calculated.

[0140] Similarly, the content c2 of the second additive A2 (e.g., a retarder) is calculated in the second sub-step 12.2, and when in use, the content c3 of the third additive A3 (e.g., an air-entraining agent) is calculated in the third sub-step 12.3.

[0141] In the third step 13, the contents c1, c2, c3 of the additives A1, A2 and A3 are available, for example, via a user interface (such as a display).

[0142] Then, the user can prepare a curable binder composition having desired processing and exposure properties by adding the corresponding amounts of the additives to the curable binder composition.

[0143] Figure 2 A schematic view of an apparatus for producing a curable binder composition (such as a concrete composition) using the method of the present invention is shown.

[0144] The curable binder composition CB to be adjusted in terms of processing and exposure properties is provided in the mixing device 25, and three different additives A1, A2, A3 as described above are provided separately. Additionally, the temperature at the intended application location of the curable binder can be measured using a remote temperature sensor 26. Figure 1 Three individually controllable additive supply devices 21, 22, 23 can introduce controlled amounts of the additives into the mixing device 25. The proportions of the additives A1, A2, A3 to be added are calculated in the control unit 21, which is configured to perform

[0145] the processing. In the batch mode, the contents of the additives are determined, and then the corresponding proportions of the additives are added to the curable binder in the mixing device 25 and mixed therewith. Figure 1 This results in a curable binder CB' having the desired processing and exposure properties, which can be removed from the mixing device 25.

[0146] In an alternative continuous processing mode, the curable binder CB and the additives A1, A2, A3 are constantly introduced into the mixing device, and the modified curable binder CB' is constantly removed from the mixing device. Thus, the contents of the additives A1, A2, A3 can be recalculated and adjusted based on the actual values of the component parameters, which are constantly measured in this case.

[0147]

[0148] Figure 3a An input mask presented on the touch screen 30 of a mobile computer device is shown. The mobile computer device runs a computer program implementing the method of the present invention.

[0149] ​The selection list 31 allows the selection of the exposure class of the concrete to be produced. The exposure class will determine the basic concrete recipe to be used (e.g., the water-to-cement ratio, the proportion of aggregates) and the specific predefined functional relationship to be selected from a list of multiple predefined functional relationships stored in the computer program. The specific predefined functional relationship selected will later be used to calculate the proportions of the three additives to be added to the base concrete recipe.

[0150] The selection list 32 and the input area 33 allow the selection of the type of cement and the input of the alkali content of the cement, respectively. The type of cement and its alkali content generally have a strong influence on the dosage of the additives (especially the amount of superplasticizer required to achieve the desired consistency). The type of cement determines how the alkali content is considered. For example, for CEM III or CEM V type cements, the alkali content is not relevant and can be set to a constant stored in the computer program. However, for other cements, such as CEM I and II, the alkali content is relevant and needs to be provided by the user (through the input area 33).

[0151] Another selection list 34 allows the selection of the type of aggregate. For example, it is possible to choose from three different types of aggregates: river, semi-crushed, or crushed. Each corresponds to a level of difficulty. The more difficult the aggregate, the higher the dosage of the additives that need to be set to achieve the desired consistency.

[0152] The selection list 35 allows the selection of the consistency of the concrete. For example, there are three options: S3 (slump between 100 and 150 mm), S4 (slump between 160 and 210 mm), and SCC (self-compacting concrete with a slump flow SF2 between 650 and 750 mm).

[0153] The selection list 36 allows the selection of the temperature of the concrete. For example, there are three different options, which correspond to three different seasons of the year (winter / intermediate season / summer): 10 °C, 20 °C, or 30 °C.

[0154] Once all the parameters have been obtained, the amounts of the three additives are calculated in a similar manner to that Figure 1 described. Subsequently, the program displays on the touch screen 30 the proportions of the three additives 37, 38, 39 to be added to the concrete recipe to obtain the desired consistency and exposure class, as Figure 3b shown.

[0155] The examples shown are only examples and they can be changed as needed within the scope of the present invention.

[0156] For example, instead of or in addition to temperature, traffic conditions during the transportation of the curable binder composition to the work site (e.g., traffic density on the transportation route and / or average speed of vehicles during the transportation of the curable binder CB') can be obtained online through traffic websites and can be considered as environmental parameter ENP or another environmental parameter ENP'.

[0157] Similarly, in the example of FIG. 3, one or more parameters (e.g., cement type and / or aggregate type) can be directly obtained from the network device through the machine interface without being provided by the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining the respective proportions of at least two different, in particular three, additives to be added to a curable binder composition in order to set desired properties of the curable binder composition, the method comprising the steps of: a) Capturing and / or determining: - at least one component parameter that characterizes the chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable binder composition; - at least one processing parameter that characterizes the desired processing properties of the binder composition during processing; and - at least one exposure parameter that characterizes the conditions to which the binder composition will be exposed in the cured state; and - optionally, at least one environmental parameter that characterizes the environmental conditions during the manufacture, transport, application and / or curing of the binder composition; b) For each of the at least two additives, deriving the proportion of the respective additive based on a predetermined functional relationship, wherein the predetermined functional relationship is defined such that the proportion of the respective additive can be calculated based on the parameters determined in step a); c) Obtaining the proportion of each of the at least two additives derived in step b) via a user interface, via a machine interface and / or on a data storage medium.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein In step b): - the functional relationship is selected from a list of different pre-defined multivariate functions having at least two variables, wherein the selection of the functional relationship is made according to the at least one exposure parameter; and - the at least one component parameter and the at least one processing parameter, and optionally the at least one environmental parameter, are used as variables in the selected multivariate function in order to calculate the respective additive content.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The functional relationship is based on the following linear combination: (i) the at least one component parameter, (ii) the at least one processing parameter, and optionally (iii) the product of the at least one component parameter and the at least one processing parameter and / or the at least one environmental parameter.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The functional relationship is obtained prior to step a), in particular by means of regression analysis, wherein, in particular, the functional relationship, in particular the constants of the functional relationship, is obtained by performing a regression analysis on a set of data points that includes the proportions of the additives and the at least one component parameter, and optionally the at least one environmental parameter, as independent variables, and the measured processing parameters and exposure parameters as dependent variables.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The at least one component parameter characterizes: - the type of cement used in the curable binder composition, in particular a cement type according to DIN EN 197-1:2011, ASTM C150 or CSA A3000-08, in particular a cement type selected from CEM I, CEM II, CEM III, CEM IV, CEM V or CEM VI; and / or - the alkali content of the binder used in the curable binder composition, in particular the alkali content of the cement; and / or - The particle shape and / or particle size of the aggregate used in the curable binder composition, in particular a shape selected from round or crushed.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The at least one processing parameter reflects the desired consistency of the curable binder composition according to DIN EN 206:2021, in particular the desired slump class, compaction class, flow class, or slump-flow class.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The at least one exposure parameter reflects the desired exposure class according to DIN EN 206:2021, in particular selected from the classes XO, XC1, XC2, XC3, XC4, XS1, XS2, XS3, XD1, XD2, XD3, XF1, XF2, XF3, XF4, XA1, XA2, XA3.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The at least one environmental parameter reflects the temperature, humidity, solar irradiance, air pressure, wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric composition, altitude, and / or other weather parameters at the location where the curable binder composition is produced, during the transportation of the curable binder composition, at the intermediate storage location of the curable binder composition, and / or at the location where the curable binder composition is applied; and / or wherein the at least one environmental parameter reflects the time between the production and application of the curable binder composition, the time of transporting the curable binder composition, the time of intermediate storage of the curable binder composition, and / or the traffic conditions during the transportation of the curable binder composition.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, In step a), at least one parameter, in particular all parameters, is obtained via a user interface, in particular via a graphical user interface, wherein the user interface is configured such that for at least one parameter, in particular for all parameters, a pre-determined list of optional parameters is presented to the user.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, In step a), at least one parameter, in particular the at least one environmental parameter, is measured using sensors and / or calculated from sensor data, wherein in particular the sensors are located in the conveying device of the curable binder composition, in the temporary storage location of the curable binder composition, and / or in the application location of the curable binder composition.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The method is executed on a mobile computer device, in particular the mobile computer device is selected from a mobile phone, a mobile computer, or a portable computer.

12. A method for producing a curable binder composition having predetermined desired properties, comprising the following steps: (i) Providing a curable binder composition, in particular a mortar, concrete, or grout composition; (ii) Providing at least two, in particular three, different additives that will be added to the curable binder composition of step (i) in order to obtain a curable binder composition having the desired properties; (iii) Determining the respective proportions of at least two, in particular three, different additives to be added to the curable binder composition according to the method as described in any one of the preceding claims; (iv) Adding the at least two, in particular three, different additives to the curable binder composition using the proportions determined in step (iii).

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The curable binder composition is a curable mineral binder composition, in particular a curable mortar, concrete or grout composition.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The at least two, in particular three, different additives include: a plasticizer, a retarder, and optionally an air-entraining agent.

15. A method for producing a curable binder composition having predetermined desired properties, in particular a method according to any one of claims 12 - 14, the curable binder composition being in particular a curable mortar, concrete or grout composition, in particular premixed concrete, wherein, The method is particularly carried out in a concrete plant and comprises the following steps: (i) providing a curable binder composition, in particular a mortar, concrete or grout composition; (ii) providing at least two, in particular three, different additives; (iii) using a computer-implemented method to determine the respective proportions of the at least two, in particular three, different additives to be added to the curable binder composition in order to set the desired properties of the curable binder composition, the method comprising the following steps: a) capturing and / or determining: - at least one component parameter which characterizes the chemical and / or physical properties of at least one individual component of the curable binder composition; - at least one processing parameter which characterizes the desired processing properties of the binder composition during processing; and - at least one exposure parameter which characterizes the conditions to which the binder composition will be exposed in the cured state; and - optionally, at least one environmental parameter which characterizes the environmental conditions during the manufacture, transport, application and / or curing of the binder composition; b) for each of the at least two additives, deriving the proportion of the respective additive based on a predetermined functional relationship, wherein the predetermined functional relationship is defined such that the proportion of the respective additive can be calculated based on the parameters determined in step a); c) obtaining, via a user interface, via a machine interface and / or on a data storage medium, the proportion of each of the at least two additives derived in step b); (iv) adding the at least two, in particular three, different additives of step (ii) to the curable binder composition of step (i) using the proportions determined in step (iii).

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 15, wherein: The method is carried out as a continuous process, wherein the curable binder composition and the at least two, in particular three, different additives are continuously provided, and the at least two, in particular three, different additives are continuously added to the curable binder composition in the proportions determined in step (iii), wherein step (iii) is repeatedly carried out, in particular in order to compensate for fluctuations in the properties and / or quality of the components of the curable composition and / or in order to compensate for the environmental conditions during the manufacture, transport, application and / or curing of the curable binder composition.

17. The method according to any one of claims 12 - 16, wherein, In step (iv), each of the at least two, in particular three, different additives is added to the curable binder composition using a separate additive supply device, and wherein the addition of the additives using the separate additive supply device is automatically controlled based on the proportion of each of the at least two additives determined in step (iii).

18. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to any one of the preceding claims.

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