Curing of concrete - Time period and factors affecting it.

 Now let us go through 4 common questions related to the curing of concrete.

A.     What is concrete curing?

Concrete gets hardened gradually by the exothermic reaction, which generates heat, and the moisture present in the concrete gets lost in this hydration process. Curing helps to prevent this moisture loss and also enhances the hydration process, to achieve an early gain in the required strength.

In short, we can define curing as the process of providing protection for the concrete from internal moisture loss, and also accelerating the hydration reaction to reach the required strength in a shorter period.

B.    What is the curing period of concrete?

Now let us observe, the different time periods needed by the concrete to attain the specific strength.

In 3-7 days                 50% of the design strength.

In 12 -14 days            75% of the design strength.

After 28 days              90% of the final strength.

The above mentioned time period is applicable when we cure the concrete in a natural way. There are different types of curing methods by which we can artificially accelerate the hydration reaction and shorten the curing time of the concrete.

C.   What are the different factors that affect the curing period?

The different factors which affect the curing period are,

1.  Type of the curing method adopted.

2.  Grade and the type of cement used.

3.  Atmospheric temperature and climatic conditions.

4.  Shape and size of the structural member.

5.  Grade of concrete.

6.  Type of the structural member and its location ( exposure to the direct sunlight ).

D.   What happens if the concrete is not cured properly?

1.     It reduces the durability of concrete.

2.    The structure may not attain the required design strength.

3.    The concrete surface which acts as a protective coating may lose its resilient surface.

 

Note:  Due to the factor of safety provided in the design calculation, the structure still carries the load if the curing is not done properly. But curing them by adopting the suitable curing method is the best practice to have tough and long-lasting structures.

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