MC-Bauchemie MC-Crete 613
A chloride-free, glycol-ether shrinkage-reducing admixture that curbs drying shrinkage and the cracking it causes in floor slabs, pavements, screeds and repair mortars.
What is it?
A liquid shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) from MC-Bauchemie, based on glycol-ether chemistry and free of chlorides, dosed into the mix water to reduce drying shrinkage of concrete and mortar.
Where is it used?
Warehouse and factory floor slabs, highway and airport pavements, screeds, repair overlays, raft and foundation slabs, post-tensioned members and SCC mixes across Delhi NCR and pan-India.
Why use it?
Drying shrinkage is the root cause of curling, random cracking and joint failures in large-area concrete. Reducing that shrinkage by 30 to 50 percent lets designers widen joint spacing and protect flatness.
How is it applied?
Added to the concrete or mortar at 1 to 3 percent by mass of cementitious content, typically with the mix water at the batching plant; no change to normal placing, finishing or curing routines.
About MC-Bauchemie MC-Crete 613
MC-Crete 613 is MC-Bauchemie’s answer to one of the most stubborn problems in flatwork and pavement concrete: the volume loss that happens as concrete dries and pulls itself apart. It is a clear to pale-yellow liquid, roughly the density of water, that goes into the mix rather than onto the surface. Chemically it belongs to the glycol-ether family of shrinkage reducers, and it carries no chloride, so it is safe to use in reinforced and prestressed work where corrosion risk cannot be tolerated. For contractors and RMC producers in India, it slots into an existing mix design without demanding a new plant setup or a change in site practice.
Space Arc Engineering supplies MC-Crete 613 as an authorised project distributor for MC-Bauchemie in India, backed by application support for engineers and specifiers who are writing it into slab and pavement specifications. Because shrinkage cracking rarely shows up until weeks after the pour, the value of an SRA is easy to underrate on paper and painfully obvious once a floor starts curling. This admixture is aimed squarely at that risk on projects where flatness, joint durability and a clean surface actually matter to the client.
The technical insight
The mechanism is physical rather than a curing trick. As fresh concrete loses water, menisci form in the fine capillary pores of the paste. The surface tension of that pore water generates enormous internal tensile stress as the water retreats, and it is this stress that shrinks the paste and cracks the concrete. MC-Crete 613 works by lowering the surface tension of the pore solution itself. With weaker menisci pulling on the pore walls, the capillary tension driving shrinkage drops, and the concrete simply contracts less as it dries. That is why the reduction is sustained rather than momentary: measured against a control mix at both 28 and 90 days, drying shrinkage falls by roughly 30 to 50 percent. Because it changes the water chemistry and not the cement hydration path, it plays well with PCE superplasticisers, waterproofing admixtures and air-entrainers rather than fighting them.
Where it is used
- Warehouse, logistics and factory floor slabs where flatness and joint life are critical
- Highway, road and airport pavement concrete exposed to wide drying gradients
- Cementitious screeds and toppings prone to curling at edges and corners
- Concrete repair mortars and bonded overlays that must stay crack-free over an existing substrate
- Raft, foundation and basement slabs where restraint cracking is a durability concern
- Post-tensioned and prestressed slab concrete needing tight dimensional control
- Self-compacting concrete (SCC) mixes with high paste volumes
- Large monolithic pours where reducing joint frequency is a design goal
Key advantages
- Cuts drying shrinkage by about 30 to 50 percent versus a control mix, sustained to 90 days
- Chloride-free, so it is safe for reinforced and prestressed concrete
- Reduces the random and restraint cracking that leads to floor curling and joint spalling
- Allows wider joint spacing, meaning fewer joints to detail, cut and maintain
- Compatible with PCE superplasticisers, waterproofing admixtures and air-entrainers
- Liquid form doses straight into the mix water with no change to placing or finishing
- Works across a broad range from slabs and pavements to repair mortars and SCC
- Improves long-term serviceability and appearance of exposed concrete surfaces
Limitations & considerations
- It reduces shrinkage but does not eliminate it; joints, correct curing and good detailing are still required
- At higher dosages it can slightly retard set, which needs allowing for in cold-weather or fast-cycle schedules
- Very high dosages may cause a minor strength reduction, usually offset by trimming the water-cement ratio
- It addresses drying shrinkage, not thermal, plastic or autogenous cracking from other causes
- Dosage should be confirmed by trial mix, since cement, admixture package and aggregates all influence response
Selection & best practice
Add MC-Crete 613 to the mix water at the batching plant at 1 to 3 percent by mass of cementitious content, with 1.5 to 2.0 percent a sensible starting point for typical floor slabs. Always confirm the final dosage with a trial mix using the actual cement, superplasticiser and aggregates, and check set time and early strength on that trial before committing on site. Because the admixture lets you widen joint spacing, coordinate the revised joint layout with the structural design rather than simply spacing joints further apart by default. Treat it as one part of a shrinkage-control strategy: keep the water-cement ratio disciplined, cure properly and promptly, and detail joints and reinforcement to suit. If you are pushing toward the upper end of the dosage range, watch set time in cool conditions and compensate for any strength effect by tightening the water content rather than adding more cement.
Specifications
| Product type | Liquid shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) |
| Chemical base | Glycol-ether based organic compounds, chloride-free |
| Appearance | Clear to slightly yellow liquid |
| Specific gravity | Approximately 1.00 to 1.05 |
| Dosage range | 1 to 3 percent by mass of cementitious content |
| Typical floor-slab dosage | 1.5 to 2.0 percent by mass of cement |
| Shrinkage reduction | 30 to 50 percent vs control at 28 and 90 days |
| Reference standards | IS 9103, ASTM C157, EN 12617-4 |
| Pack sizes | 25-litre and 200-litre drums |
Industry use cases
Industrial and warehouse flooring
Large-area slabs where curling and cracking wreck flatness tolerances and forklift joint life; the SRA keeps joints intact and surfaces flat for longer.
Roads, highways and airport pavements
Pavement concrete faces steep drying gradients top to bottom; reducing shrinkage limits surface cracking and extends the maintenance interval.
Concrete repair and overlays
Bonded repair mortars and toppings shrink against a rigid old substrate; a lower shrinkage overlay is far less likely to debond or crack over the repair.
Structural slabs and rafts
Restrained raft, basement and foundation slabs are prone to shrinkage cracking that threatens water-tightness; the admixture is a chloride-free way to reduce that risk in reinforced work.
Ready-mix concrete production
A liquid dosed into the mix water at the plant lets RMC producers offer a low-shrinkage grade for demanding flooring and pavement contracts without reworking their process.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly does MC-Crete 613 do to concrete?
How much should I dose, and how is it added?
Is it safe for reinforced and prestressed concrete?
Will it affect setting time or strength?
Can I use it alongside a superplasticiser or waterproofing admixture?
Does using it mean I can leave out control joints?
How we position MC-Bauchemie MC-Crete 613
MC-Crete 613 sits in the shrinkage-control corner of the MC-Bauchemie admixture range and is best specified alongside the products it is designed to work with. On high-performance flooring and pavement mixes it pairs naturally with a PCE superplasticiser such as MC-Bauchemie’s Centrament Eco 400 for workability and water reduction, while MC-Crete 613 handles dimensional stability. Where water-tightness is also a requirement, as in rafts and basement slabs, it can be combined with MC-Bauchemie’s integral waterproofing admixtures without conflict. Across our wider catalogue, Space Arc also supplies Fosroc’s Conplast admixture family and other established Indian brands, so if a project standard calls for a specific approved brand of superplasticiser, retarder or waterproofing additive, we can match MC-Crete 613 to a compatible package from those ranges. For teams already standardised on Fosroc admixtures, our technical staff can advise on the closest equivalent shrinkage-control approach; ask us and we will point you to the current option rather than a discontinued code.
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Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.