CURING CONCRETE

CURING CONCRETE
Presented to
Dr. Ayub Elahi
Presented by
 Waqar Saleem
 Muhammad Jahanzeb
 Muhammad Javed

 Muhammad Akmal
 Umair Yaseen
Curing Concrete ( ASTM C31)
Curing Concrete
What is curing??

Process to retain and maintain for a specific time

1.Moisture(not less than 80%RH)

2.Temperature(above freezing and below 176F or 80C)

Essential for cement hydration

Hydration
What is hydration???
It is a chemical process in which cement ingredients
react with water.
Tricalcium silicate + Water--->Calcium silicate
hydrate+Calcium hydroxide + heat
173.6kJ
Dicalcium silicate + Water--->Calcium silicate hydrate
+ Calcium hydroxide +heat
58.6KJ
Hydration (ASTM C186)
Hydration (stage I)
Almost immediately on
adding water
some of the clinker Stage I
sulphates and gypsum
dissolve
producing an alkaline,
sulfate-rich, solution.
Hydration (stage I)
the (C3A) phase (the
most reactive of the four
main clinker minerals)
reacts with the water to
form an aluminate-rich
gel
Stage I on the heat
evolution curve
Hydration (stage I)
(C3A) reaction is with
water is strongly
exothermic
but does not last long
 typically only a few
minutes
Hydration (stage II)
Stage I is followed by a
period of a few hours of
relatively low heat
evolution.
 This is called the
dormant, or induction
period.
Paste becomes stiff and
not workable
Hydration (stage III)
main period of
hydration
the alite and belite in the
cement start to react
formation of calcium
silicate hydrate and
calcium hydroxide
Hydration (stage III)
time concrete strengths
increase
maximum heat
evolution occurs
typically between about
10 and 20 hours
after mixing and then
gradually tails off
HOW TO CURE???
WHAT ARE PURPOSES OR FUNCTIONS??

????????
Curing methods
3 main purposes of curing
1. Maintaining mixing water in concrete during the
early hardening process
2. 2. Reducing the loss of mixing water from the surface
of the concrete
3. Accelerating strength gain using heat and additional
moisture
 First
purpose

Maintaining mixing water

4 ways
I. Ponding or immersion
II. Spraying or fogging
III. Saturated wet coverings
IV. Left in place forms
 First
purpose

Maintaining mixing water

First way

Ponding OR immersion
Maintaining mixing water
Ponding or Immersion
ASTM C192/C192M
Ideal for preventing loss of moisture
Maintain uniform temperature
Disadvantages:
Requires considerable labor and supervision
Impractical for big jobs
 First
purpose

Maintaining mixing water

 2nd way

Spraying and fogging

Spraying or Fogging
ASTM C192
Excellent method when temperature is above
freezing and humidity is low.
Disadvantages:
Cost
Water erosion of the newly finished concrete form.
 First
purpose

Maintaining mixing water

 3rd way
 ASTM C84-36 

Saturated wet covering

Wet coverings
Moisture-retaining fabrics saturated with water i.e
burlap, cotton mats, rugs.
Advantage
1. no discoloration
2 Resistant to rot and fire
Disadvantage
Periodic additions of water
Use of polythylene film over wet covering will eliminate
continuous watering
ASTM C171(MATERIAL)
 First
purpose

Maintaining mixing water

4th way

Left in place forms

Maintaining mixing water
Left in place forms
Advantages
No extra cost or labour
Easy
Disadvantages
Risky
Extra care in hot weather
And wood forms
 2nd
purpose

Reducing loss of water

3 ways
I. Impervious paper
II. plastic sheets
III. Membrane-forming
compounds
 2nd
purpose

Reducing loss of water

1st way
ASTM C 309. (AASHTO
M 148
Covering concrete with
impervious paper or
plastic sheets
 Reducing
loss of
water

Impervious paper
Two sheets of kraft paper cemented tegether by a bitumious
adhesive with fiber reinforcment.
Advantages
Very efficient for curing horizontal surfaces
Periodic addition of water are not required
Assures suitable hydration by preventing loss of moisture
Reusable
Tears and holes can easily be repaired with patches
Disadvantage
Marginal cost
ASRM C171
Reducing loss of water
2nd way

Plastic sheets
Plastic sheets
Polyethylene films, 4-mil thickness
Advantages
Lightweight
Effective moisture barrier
Easily applied to complex as well as simple shapes
Disadvantages
Can cause patchy discoloration
More pronounced when film is wrinkled
Periodic additions of water may be necessary to prevent
discoloration
ASTM C 171
 2nd
purpose

Reducing loss of water

Applying membrane-
forming curing
compounds
Membrane-forming compound
Liquid membrane-forming compounds use to retard or reduce
evaporation of water
Waxes, resins, chlorinated rubber
Advantages
 hand-operated or power-driven spray equipment
 One coat 150-200 sft per gallon
 Disadvantages
 Extra cost
 Skilled labour
ASTM C309
Efficiency check ASTM ASTM C156 - 09a 

 3nd
purpose

Accelerating strength gain

4 ways

I. Curing steam
II. Heating coils
III. Electrical heated forms or pads
IV. Concrete blanket
 3nd
purpose

Accelerating strength gain

1st way
Steam Curing
Advantageous where early strength gain is required, or
Additional heat is required to accomplish hydration,
ex. cold weather.
Two Methods:
Live steam (atmospheric pressure)
Autoclave (high pressure)
Steam curing
 3nd
purpose

Accelerating strength gain

2nd way
Heating coils
Embedded near surface of concrete elements
Prevention from freezing in cold weather
 3nd
purpose

Accelerating strength gain

3rd way
Electrical heated forms or pads
Primarily used by precast concrete producers
Now used in some sensitive projects
 3nd
purpose

Accelerating strength gain

4th way
ASTM C167
Concrete blanket
Insulate the surfaces in
cold temperatures
4300psi
9hours
Accelerating strength gain
Winter Concrete Curing Blankets
 Prevents freezing, rapid drying, & cracking all winter 
Thaw frozen ground prior to pouring
Heat spreading technology cures concrete fast
Roll it out, Plug it in, the blanket does the rest
Accelerate your construction jobs all winter
Produces ROCK-HARD concrete every time 
Maintain optimal curing temperatures year-round
Only pennies a day to operate
 Method Advantage Disadvantage

Sprinkling with Water or covering Excellent results if constantly kept Likelihood of drying between
with Burlap wet sprinklings; difficult on vertical walls
Straw Insulator in winter Can dry out, blow away, burn
Stains concrete, can dry out,
Moist earth Cheap but messy removal problem

Excellent results, maintain uniform Requires considerable labor,

Ponding on flat surfaces temperature undesirable in freezing weather

Sprayer needed; inadequate

Curing compounds Easy to apply and inexpensive coverage allows dry out; film can be
broken or tracked out before curing
is completed; unless pigmented
allows concrete to get too hot
Heavy cost can be excessive; must
Water proof paper be kept in rolls; storage and
Excellent protection prevents drying handling problem
Should  be  pigmented  for  heat
protection;  requires  reasonable
 care and tears must be patched;
must be weighed  down  to  prevent
Plastic film
Absolutely watertight, excellent  blowing away
protection. Light and easy to handle
Effects on hardened concrete
Increased
Strength
Watertightness
Abrasion resistance
Freeze-thaw resistance
Volume stability
Curing tips
ample water
do not let it dry
dry concrete = dead concrete, all reactions stop
can not revitalize concrete after it dries
keep temperature at a moderate level
concrete with flyash requires longer curing
Temperature effects on curing
The higher the temperature the faster the curing
best temperature is room temperature
strongest concrete is made at temperature
around 40 F.(not practical)
If concrete freezes during the first 24 hrs., it may
never be able to attain its original properties.
Temperature effects
Temperature effects
Temperature effects on curing
real high temperatures above 120 F can cause
serious damage since cement may set too fast.
accelerated curing procedures produce strong
concrete, but durability might suffer.
autoclave curing.
Moisture tests
Polythene sheet
test(ASTM D 4263)
Mat Test
Test Strip
Moisture Meters
Gravimetric
Thank you