Sugar used to temper the wall

SUGAR USED TO TEMPER

THE WALL

SUGAR USED TO TEMPER THE WALL – 74

Adding refined sugar to cement can prevent cracking in concrete exposed to high temperatures

As I said in previous chapters, sugar can be used in construction, but now I'll talk about its benefit in hot places like barbecue grills.

Some civil engineers and foremen use this commodity to repair an old problem in construction: micro-cracks and cracks in concrete exposed to high temperatures. According to professionals in the field, refined sugar, the same one that is used to sweeten the coffee, mixed with cement in small proportions avoids the problem.

On the internet, there is no lack of recipes to make the mixture and the users of the dough, from lay people to professionals in the sector, guarantee that it is just like pitch, because it is so strong, compact and sealing. This mass is great for coating or placing bricks in ovens, as it does not crack with temperature, assesses the bricklayer's assistant Ricardo Príncipe, on a social networking site. Olivier Anquier, famous chef and TV presenter it also says on its website that mass has its positive principles. A valuable tip here is that the cement-

SUGAR USED TO TEMPER THE WALL – 75

-based spackle has sugar in the recipe. It is so that the oven seam does not crack in the heat.

Professionals in the sugar-energy sector are also interested in the topic. Plínio Nastari is the CEO of Instituto Datagro and one of the most respected economic consultants in the sector, and he assumed that, having heard so much about the subject, he sought more information to satiate his curiosity.

According to the principles of civil engineering, concrete has cracks and fissures due to the process of water loss, due to hydration and evapotranspiration, which it undergoes during drying, in its initial application. In a very short period of time, the loss of water increases with the rise in temperatures, which is why, in the process of concreting works, it is necessary to wet the concrete several times a day (a procedure called curing) and delay drying as much as possible. The use of refined sugar mixed with cement slows down the hydration reactions of the product and, in high levels, can even inhibit it totally. Adding a small amount of sugar to the dough will prevent full hydration or cement crystal formation. The resulting

SUGAR USED TO TEMPER THE WALL – 76

mortar will have a better deformation modulus and greater capacity to absorb deformations from thermal sources, such as in the case of barbecue grills, fireplaces and ovens.

However, the indiscriminate use of dough with sugar can cause problems and its use should always be guided by a professional. Despite being indicated in small quantities, the product will increase the cost of the work.