WHAT IS CURING AND WHAT DOES IT DO TO THE CONCRETE?

When most people think of curing, they think only of maintaining moisture on the surface of the concrete.
But curing is more than thatit is giving the concrete what it needs to gain strength properly. Concrete
strength depends on the growth of crystals within the matrix of the concrete. These crystals grow from a
reaction between Portland cement and watera reaction known as hydration. If there isn't enough water,
the crystals can't grow and the concrete doesn't develop the strength it should. If there is enough water,
the crystals grow out like tiny rock-hard fingers wrapping around the sand and gravel in the mix and
intertwining with one another. Almost sounds like a horror movieour concrete baby has turned into a
monster!
The other important aspect of curing is temperaturethe concrete can't be too cold or too hot. As fresh
concrete gets cooler, the hydration reaction slows down. The temperature of the concrete is what's
important here, not necessarily the air temperature. Below about 10 C, hydration slows down a lot; below
about 4.5 C, it virtually stops.
Hot concrete has the opposite problem: the reaction goes too fast, and since the reaction is exothermic
(produces heat), it can quickly cause temperature differentials within the concrete that can lead to
cracking. And cement that reacts too quickly doesn't have time for the crystals to grow properly so it
doesn't develop as much strength as it should.
Improper curing is considered as one of the significant reasons for concrete failures in columns, beams,
slabs, pavements, etc, evident in the form of cracks, which are easily noticeable by the naked eyes. The
vertical member like a column, in particular, is one of the most victimized RCC elements which must be
carefully cured, as the entire load from the slabs and beams are supported by columns and transferred to
the foundations. Unfortunately, adequate curing is not given much importance at most of the sites leading
to reduction in the durability of the structure.
Curing of concrete plays a major role in developing the microstructure and pore structure of concrete.
Curing of concrete means maintaining moisture inside the body of concrete during the early ages and
beyond in order to develop the desired properties in terms of strength & durability. A good curing practice
involves keeping the concrete damp until the concrete is strong enough to do its job. However, good
curing practices are not always religiously followed in most of the cases, leading to a weak concrete. This
article summarizes various aspects of curing of concrete which can be of valuable assistance in adopting
good construction practices at site.

Concrete strength gain - Concrete strength increase with age as moisture and a favourable
temperature is present for hydration of cement. An experimental investigation was conducted by
"Cement, Concrete & Aggregates Australia" (CCAA) and the same was published in their data sheet
on "Curing of Concrete," which has been included in this article for reference. Figure-1 illustrates a
comparison of the strength of concrete at 180 days of moist curing with various periods of moist
curing (0, 3, 7, 14 & 28 days) and then allowing it to dry out. From the graph below, it can be
observed that concrete allowed to dry out immediately, achieves only 40% of the strength of the same
concrete water cured for the full period of 180 days.

There are several important reasons why one should cure concrete: Figure 1: Effect
of duration of water curing on strength of concrete(CCAA, data sheet, April 2006,
figure-1, page2)

Improved durability of concrete The durability of concrete is affected by a number of factors

including its permeability, porosity and absorptivity. Well cured concrete can minimize thermal,
plastic & drying shrinkage cracks, making concrete more water tight, thus preventing moisture and
water borne chemicals from entering into the concrete and thereby increasing its durability.
Enhanced serviceability - Concrete that is allowed to dry out quickly undergoes considerable early
age shrinkage. Inadequate curing contributes to weak and dusty surfaces having a poor abrasion
resistance.
Improved microstructure - Material properties are directly related to their microstructure. Curing
assists the cement hydration reaction to progress steadily and develops calcium silicate hydrate gel,
which binds the aggregates leading to a rock solid mass, makes the concrete denser, decreases the
porosity and enhances the physical and mechanical properties of concrete.

Exposed surfaces of concrete shall be kept continuously damp or in a wet condition by ponding or by
covering with sacks, canvas, hessian or other similar material and kept continuously wet for atleast 7 days
from the date of placing, in case of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and atleast 10 days when mineral
admixtures or blended cements are used. In case of concrete where mineral admixtures or blended
cements are used, it is recommended that the above minimum periods may be extended to 14 days, for
assisting the secondary reaction.