Effects of FDN and Calcium lignosulfonate (LS) on the properties of high-volume fly ash cement mortar were studied. It was found that compared with FDN, the water-reducing ratio of LS was lower and the ability of retaining the fluidity of the cement mortar was better; for the stability of the cement mortar, the effect of LS was almost the same as that of FDN at the dosage of 0.4 %. The adsorption on the cementitious surface, the effect on the zeta potential of cement particle surface and the foaming capacity of FDN and LS were measured. The results showed that, for the reasons of stronger air-entraining capacity of LS and the incomplete adsorption of FDN on the surface of cementitious particles, the water-reducing ratio of LS was close to FDN when the dosage was lower than 0.4 %. The better fluidity retention capacity of LS was attributed to the more stable zeta potential of the cement surface and the retarding effect of mortar setting. The experimental results suggested that for the purpose of utilizing LS better in the high-volume fly ash cement mortar in the grouting, some modification should be conducted to increase its water-reducing ratio.
