STP ShaliPlast PCE 200 R
Polycarboxylate ether superplasticiser with built-in set retardation — engineered so ready-mix concrete arrives at the pour point with its slump, cohesion and water-cement ratio intact.
What is it?
A liquid polycarboxylate ether (PCE) superplasticiser combined with a retarding agent, conforming to IS 9103:1999 and ASTM C494 Type G, from STP Limited.
Where is it used?
Ready-mixed concrete, pumped and high-workability mixes, PQC pavements, precast and in-situ concrete — especially where haul times are long or ambient temperatures are high.
Why use it?
It delivers high-range water reduction and holds slump through transit, so batching plants stop losing loads to slump-out and sites stop retempering with water.
How is it applied?
Dosed at 0.5–2.0% by weight of cementitious material into the final gauging water at the mixer — never onto dry cement — after trial mixes fix the exact dose.
About STP ShaliPlast PCE 200 R
ShaliPlast PCE 200 R is STP Limited’s retarding-grade polycarboxylate superplasticiser, built for the realities of Indian ready-mix supply: long hauls through traffic, summer batching temperatures well above 35°C, and pour schedules that slip. The base polymer gives the high water reduction expected of a PCE admixture, while an integrated retarding component slows the onset of setting so the mix stays placeable when the transit mixer finally reaches the pump. It conforms to IS 9103:1999 and ASTM C494 Type G, and additionally complies with IS 2645:2003 as an integral waterproofing compound.
Because the water reduction is achieved chemically rather than by adding water at site, concrete made with PCE 200 R comes out denser, stronger and less permeable at the same workability. The formulation is chloride-free, so it is safe in reinforced and prestressed work, and it is compatible with ordinary and sulphate-resisting Portland cements as well as blended systems using fly ash, GGBS or microsilica — subject to the trial mixes any competent RMC lab would run anyway. Space Arc Engineering supplies it in Delhi NCR and pan-India as an authorised STP distribution partner, with dosage-trial support.
The technical insight
PCE polymers work differently from the older SNF/SMF superplasticisers most Indian plants grew up on. The comb-shaped molecule anchors its carboxylate backbone onto cement grains while long polyether side chains project outward, physically holding particles apart (steric hindrance) rather than relying purely on electrostatic repulsion. That steric mechanism is why a PCE achieves more water reduction at lower dosage and holds workability longer as hydration products form. The retarding component in the 200 R grade then extends the dormant period of cement hydration itself, delaying initial set. The two actions stack: dispersion keeps the mix flowing, retardation keeps the chemistry from closing the window. The practical result is Type G behaviour — water-reducing and retarding — which is exactly what a specifier wants when placement time, not mixing time, is the bottleneck.
Where it is used
- Ready-mixed concrete where plant-to-site haul times run an hour or more
- Hot-weather concreting where slump loss between batching and placing is rapid
- Large continuous pours — rafts, mass foundations — needing an extended workability window
- Pumped concrete for high-rise cores and long horizontal pipeline runs
- Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) on highway and airport paving work
- High-workability and flowing concrete for heavily congested reinforcement
- Precast and in-situ elements where high water reduction and a dense matrix are specified
- Integral waterproofing duty in concrete per IS 2645:2003
Key advantages
- Dual action in one product: high-range water reduction plus controlled set retardation
- Lower water-cement ratio yields higher strength, higher density and reduced permeability
- Nil chloride content — suitable for reinforced and prestressed concrete
- Improved cohesion cuts the risk of segregation and bleeding in flowing mixes
- Slump retention through transit reduces rejected loads and eliminates retempering with water
- Compatible with OPC and SRC cements plus fly ash, GGBS and microsilica blends (after trials)
- Improved shrinkage and creep behaviour of the hardened concrete
- Doubles as an IS 2645-compliant integral waterproofing compound
Limitations & considerations
- Overdosage delays setting appreciably — dosage must be fixed by trial mixes, not estimated at the plant
- Retardation works against you in cool weather or where early stripping drives the cycle; a non-retarded grade suits those jobs better
- Flowing concrete exerts higher pressure at the base of wall and column formwork, which must be designed and braced accordingly
- The admixture must not contact dry cement — batching sequence discipline is essential
- Supplied only in 225 kg barrels, which suits batching plants rather than small site users
- Performance shifts with cement brand, fineness and SCM content, so combinations with other admixtures need site trials
Selection & best practice
Fix the dosage in the lab first, using the actual project cement and supplementary materials: start trials within the 0.5–2.0% range (by weight of cementitious material) and confirm both the slump-retention profile and the setting time you can live with. At the plant, charge aggregates and cement with roughly 85% of the mixing water and mix normally, then introduce ShaliPlast PCE 200 R with the remaining gauging water and mix a further two to three minutes until the target slump is reached. Never let the admixture touch dry cement, and never let operators bump the dose to chase slump — excess dosage shows up as delayed setting, not better flow. For walls and narrow sections, make formwork watertight and strongly braced, since the more fluid mix pushes harder at the base than conventional concrete. Store barrels cool, under shed and away from heat; shelf life is 12 months unopened.
Specifications
| Chemical base | Poly-carboxylated ether (PCE) with integrated retarding agent |
| Compliance | IS 9103:1999; ASTM C494 Type G; IS 2645:2003 (integral waterproofing) |
| Form / colour | Liquid, light brownish |
| Specific gravity at 30°C | 1.06 ± 0.02 |
| pH | 6 – 8 |
| Chloride content | Nil |
| Dosage | 0.5 – 2.0% by weight of cementitious material |
| Packing | 225 kg barrel |
| Shelf life | 12 months in original unopened packing, stored cool under shed |
Industry use cases
Ready-Mix Concrete Plants
Keeps slump within specification on long NCR and metro-city hauls, so loads arrive pumpable without water addition at site and rejection rates drop.
Highways & Airport Paving
Gives PQC mixes a consistent workability window across long paving shifts in summer, protecting finish quality behind the paver.
High-Rise Construction
Supports pumped, flowing concrete to upper floors and into congested columns and cores while the low w/c ratio protects specified strength.
Mass Pours & Rafts
Extends the placing window on large continuous foundations so successive truckloads knit together without cold joints.
Water-Retaining Structures
Serves STPs, WTPs and reservoirs where IS 2645 integral waterproofing compliance and low-permeability concrete are both required.
Frequently asked questions
What does the ‘R’ in ShaliPlast PCE 200 R mean?
What dosage should we start trials at?
Will it delay our setting time too much?
Is it safe for reinforced and prestressed concrete?
Can we use it with PPC, fly ash or GGBS-based mixes?
What pack size do you supply and how should it be stored?
How we position STP ShaliPlast PCE 200 R
Within the STP family, ShaliPlast PCE 200 R sits between the standard ShaliPlast PCE 200 — the non-retarded grade to pick when fast stripping and early strength drive the programme — and ShaliPlast PCE 300, aimed at higher-grade, higher-reduction mixes. Choose the 200 R specifically when transit time, pour duration or hot weather is the constraint. For projects already standardised on other admixture houses, Space Arc also supplies Fosroc’s Auramix range, including Auramix 400 and the higher-retention Auramix 450, covering the same RMC slump-retention duty. Our team can arrange comparative dosage trials with your plant’s cement before you commit a specification.
Fosroc Auramix 400 — Specifiers standardised on Fosroc admixtures can meet the same RMC water-reduction and slump-retention duty with Auramix 400, backed by Fosroc’s wider Auramix compatibility data.
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Authorised distribution, technical advice & professional application across Delhi NCR and Pan-India.