Curing concrete is an important process, and the type, quantity and application of your concrete will influence how it is cured. By seeking the advice of reputable concrete suppliers, you can be sure that your chosen concrete mix will meet your expectations for years to come.
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Call us on Curing times for concrete Technically, concrete never stops curing. You may rightly consider concrete to be one of the most durable and attractive construction materials around, but did you know that everything you do after pouring has just as much impact on its strength as the mixing process? In fact, the chemical reaction between cement and water that binds sand and gravel together to make concrete takes nearly 28 days to fully complete. During this process, which is known as hydration, you want to keep moisture in the concrete.
Otherwise, water evaporating too quickly from the surface—which can happen easily outdoors and in direct sun—will weaken the finished product with stresses and cracking. Controlling the moisture content and the temperature of the new concrete for the first several days through curing take top priority. For the best results, check out our list of best and worst concrete-curing practices before you tackle your next project. One of the most common methods for curing concrete is to hose it down frequently with water—five to 10 times per day, or as often as you can—for the first seven days.
Moist-cured concrete can be up to 50 percent stronger than concrete that was cured without being dampened! Wet the concrete thoroughly, and then cover it with the sheeting of your choice, using bricks, rocks, or other heavy items to hold it in place. Remove the sheeting or blanket daily, wet the concrete again, re-cover it, and repeat for seven days. This technique can also be used for upright concrete columns and walls by wetting them down and wrapping them with a curing blanket or plastic sheeting.
Pond curing is another great way to cure concrete, and the process is just as it sounds: You form temporary berms around a new concrete slab, and then flood the area inside them with one foot of water. Three days of pond curing does the work of seven days of moist curing, and without daily attention—just be sure the water level remains above the concrete slab.
Large-scale builders may use this method to speed up the construction process when pouring foundation slabs, for example, in order to get on to framing the structure. Water reacts with and becomes part of the final form of the concrete. Problems with this process occur when the temperatures are too low, or it is necessary to ship product before 28 days. Accelerated curing using steam produces a more consistent quality of precast concrete. The slats are stacked and covered with a tent with steam pumped into the enclosures.
The increased heat of the steam speeds up the cure time and provides additional moisture so the water inside the concrete is not lost and can complete the hydration process. The strength of steam heat concrete after three days will equal or exceed the day strength of normally cured concrete. Second, faster cure time permits slats to be shipped to a job site without a standard day cure time.
This reduced time is especially critical during the height of the building season when slats might be in short supply. Slat manufacturers using an air cure method might be tempted to cut corners and ship slats before they are ready. The proper curing of concrete slats determines its quality and projected life cycle in production facilities.
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