TECHNICAL WRITE-UP
CURING

WHAT IS CURING:

Curing is the process of maintaining a satisfactory moisture content and favorable temperature during hydration of cement material so that the desired properties of concrete are developed.

Factors affecting the evaporation of water from concrete.

The principal of curing, therefore, is to prevent the evaporation of water in the concrete so that the sufficient water is available for complete hydration of the cement in concrete.

Factors affecting the evaporation of water from the concrete.

• Air temperature

• Fresh Concrete temperature

• Relative Humidity

• Wind Velocity.

METHOD OF CURING:

• Ponding with water

• Covering concrete with wet burlaps which are maintained close to the concrete surface.

• Intermittent spraying with water and continuous sprinkling of water.

• Covering concrete with set sand, saw dust etc.

• Covering concrete with polyurethane sheets or waterproof and holding it in position

• Curing with liquid membrane forming compound which are spray applied.

IMPROPER CURING:

• Lowering of compressive strength and flexural strength

• Sanding and dusting of surfaces and lower abrasion resistances

• High permeability therefore lower durability.

• Cracks due to plastic shrinkage, drying shrinkage and thermal cracking.

• Increased rate of carbonation and chloride ingress.

• Lower weathering and frost resistance.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONVENTIONAL CURING:

• Late Beginning

• No curing control

• Wetting and drying cycles.

• Entry of H₂O in concrete with deleterious materials.

ADVANTAGES OF MEMBRANES CURING:

• Early Beginning

• One Time application :QC

• No entry of H2O in concrete

• No wetting and drying problem

• Reduction of concrete temperature.

CURING COMPOUNDS:

• The new generation curing compounds are spray able types which forms a membranes on the cast concrete and prevent the evaporation loss.

• The curing compounds are available in the white and other solar reflective colours to reduction of surface heat by reflectance.

• We have large range of curing compounds in the FAIRCURE Range of products, which has following advantages.

1.      Prepack factory controlled ready to use.

2.      Reduce supervision and labour cost

3.      Easy of application.

4.      Facilitates the production of uniform concrete of better strength and
         durability

5.      Has better resistance to abrasion.

6.      Better bonding with the surface.

7.      Better compatibility with the high alkalinity of fresh concrete.

CURING EFFICIENCIES OF FEW BASES: