Role of Concrete Curing

By Jerzy Z. Zemajtis, Ph.D., PE (WA)

Curing plays an important role on strength development

and durability of concrete. Curing takes place immediately after concrete placing and
finishing, and involves maintenance of desired moisture and temperature conditions, both at
depth and near the surface, for extended periods of time. Properly cured concrete has an
adequate amount of moisture for continued hydration and development of strength, volume
stability, resistance to freezing and thawing, and abrasion and scaling resistance.

The length of adequate curing time is dependent on the following factors:

 Mixture proportions
 Specified strength
 Size and shape of concrete member
 Ambient weather conditions
 Future exposure conditions

Slabs on ground (e.g. pavements, sidewalks, parking lots, driveways, floors, canal linings)
and structural concrete (e.g. bridge decks, piers, columns, beams, slabs, small footings,
cast-in-place walls, retaining walls) require a minimum curing period of seven days for
ambient temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit1.

American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committee 301 recommends a minimum curing period
corresponding to concrete attaining 70 percent of the specified compressive strength2. The
often specified seven-day curing commonly corresponds to approximately 70 percent of the
specified compressive strengths. The 70 percent strength level can be reached sooner when
concrete cures at higher temperatures or when certain cement/admixture combinations are
used. Similarly, longer time may be needed for different material combinations and/or
lower curing temperatures. For this reason, ACI Committee 308 recommends the following
minimum curing periods3:

 ASTM C 150 Type I cement seven days

 ASTM C 150 Type II cement ten days
 ASTM C 150 Type III cement three days
 ASTM C 150 Type IV or V cement 14 days
 ASTM C 595, C 845, C 1157 cements variable
Effect of curing duration on compressive strength development is presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Moist Curing Time and Compressive Strength Gain

Higher curing temperatures promote an early strength gain in concrete but may decrease its
28-day strength. Effect of curing temperature on compressive strength development is
presented in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Effect of Curing Temperature on Compressive Strength

There are three main functions of curing:

1) Maintaining mixing water in concrete during the early hardening process

Ponding and immersion

Ponding is typically used to cure flat surfaces on smaller jobs. Care should be taken to
maintain curing water temperature at not more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than the
concrete to prevent cracking due to thermal stresses. Immersion is mainly used in the
laboratory for curing concrete test specimens.

Spraying and fogging

Spraying and fogging are used when the ambient temperatures are well above freezing and
the humidity is low. Fogging can minimize plastic shrinkage cracking until the concrete
attains final set.

Saturated wet coverings

Wet coverings saturated with water should be used after concrete has hardened enough to
prevent surface damage. They should be kept constantly wet.

Left in Place Forms

Left in place forms usually provide satisfactory protection against moisture loss for formed
concrete surfaces. The forms are usually left in place as long as the construction schedule
allows. If the forms are made of wood, they should be kept moist, especially during hot, dry
weather.

2) Reducing the loss of mixing water from the surface of the concrete

Covering concrete with impervious paper or plastic sheets

Impervious paper and plastic sheets can be applied on thoroughly wetted concrete. The
concrete surface should be hard enough to prevent surface damage from placement
activities.

Applying membrane-forming curing compounds

Membrane-forming curing compounds are used to retard or reduce evaporation of moisture
from concrete. They can be clear or translucent and white pigmented. White-pigmented
compounds are recommended for hot and sunny weather conditions to reflect solar
radiation. Curing compounds should be applied immediately after final finishing. Curing
compound shall comply with ASTM C3094 or ASTM C13155.

3) Accelerating strength gain using heat and additional moisture

Live steam
Live steam at atmospheric pressure and high-pressure steam in autoclaves are the two
methods of steam curing. Steam temperature for live steam at atmospheric pressure should
be kept at about 140 degrees Fahrenheit or less until the desired concrete strength is
achieved.

Heating coils
Heating coils are usually used as embedded elements near the surface of concrete elements.
Their purpose is to protect concrete from freezing during cold weather concreting.

Electrical heated forms or pads

Electrical heated forms or pads are primarily used by precast concrete producers.

Concrete blankets
Concrete insulation blankets are used to cover and insulate concrete surfaces subjected to
freezing temperatures during the curing period. The concrete should be hard enough to
prevent surface damage when covering with concrete blankets.

Other forms of curing include internal moist curing with lightweight aggregates or
absorbent polymer particles. For mass concrete elements (usually thicker than 3 feet), a
thermal control plan is usually developed to help control thermal stresses. Additional
information can be found in ACI Committee 308 report Guide to Curing Concrete3. For
specialty concretes, it is recommended to refer to other ACI reports as follows:

 Refractory concrete ACI 547.1R

 Refractory concrete ACI 547.1R
 Insulating concrete ACI 523.1R
 Expansive cement concrete ACI 223
 Roller-compacted concrete ACI 207.5R
 Architectural concrete ACI 303R
 Shotcrete ACI 506.2
 Fiber-reinforced concrete ACI 544.3R
 Vertical slipform construction ACI 313

Curing in either cold or hot weather requires additional attention. In cold weather, some of
the procedures include heated enclosures, evaporation reducers, curing compounds, and
insulating blankets. The temperature of fresh concrete shall be above 50 degrees
Fahrenheit. The curing period for cold weather concrete is longer than the standard period
due to reduced rate of strength gain. Compressive strength of concrete cured and
maintained at 50 degrees Fahrenheit is expected to gain strength half as quickly as concrete
cured at 73 degrees Fahrenheit. In hot weather, curing and protection are critical due to
rapid moisture loss from fresh concrete. The curing actually starts before concrete is placed
by wetting substrate surfaces with water. Sunscreens, windscreens, fogging, and
evaporation retardants can be used for hot weather concrete placements. Since concrete
strength gain in hot weather is faster, curing period may be reduced. Additional information
can be found in ACI 306.1, Standard Specification for Cold Weather Concreting, ACI
306R, Cold Weather Concreting, ACI 305.1, Specification for Hot Weather Concreting,
and ACI 305R, Hot Weather Concreting

Curing Concrete Test Specimens

Curing of concrete test specimens is usually different from concrete placed during
construction. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed two
standards for making and curing concrete specimens. ASTM C1926 is intended for
laboratory samples while ASTM C317 is intended for field samples. Both documents
provide standardized requirements for making, curing, protecting, and transporting concrete
test specimens under field or laboratory conditions, respectively.

ASTM C192 provides procedures for evaluation of different mixtures in laboratory

conditions. It is usually used in the initial stage of the project, or for research purposes.

ASTM C31 is used for acceptance testing and can also be used as a decision tool for form
or shoring removal. Depending on its intended purpose, the standard defines two curing
regimes: standard curing for acceptance testing and field curing for form/shoring removal.
Variation in standard curing of test specimens can dramatically affect measured concrete
properties. According to the National Ready Mix Concrete Association8 (NRMCA),
strength for concrete air cured for one day followed by 27 days moist cured will be
approximately 8 percent lower than for concrete moist cured for the entire period. The
strength reduction is 11 percent and 18 percent for concrete specimens initially cured in air
for three days and seven days, respectively. For the same air/moist curing combinations, but
100 degrees Fahrenheit air curing temperature, the 28-day strength will be approximately
11 percent, 22 percent, and 26 percent lower, respectively.

References
S. Kosmatka et al,

Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures,

15th Edition, EB001, PCA Engineering Bulletin EB 001, Portland Cement Association ,
Skokie, IL 2002

Specifications for Structural Concrete, ACI 301 (www.concrete.org)

Guide to Curing Concrete, ACI 308R-01 (www.concrete.org)

ASTM C309, Standard Specification for Liquid Membrane-Forming Compounds for

Curing Concrete (www.astm.org)

ASTM C1315, Standard Specification for Liquid Membrane-Forming Compounds Having

Special Properties for Curing and Sealing Concrete (www.astm.org)

ASTM C192 / C192M, Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens
in the Laboratory (www.astm.org)

ASTM C31 / C31M, Standard Practice for Making and Curing Concrete Test Specimens in
the Field (www.astm.org)
The Link Between Concrete Sustainability and Curing
Sustainability, according to the Bruntland Report and adopted by many experts, is
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. This can be accomplished in one of two ways: either
by using recyclable, reusable, or so little resources that future generations have the same
access to them; or by producing development that meets our needs as well as the needs of
future generations. We can use proper curing of concrete to advance towards the reduction
of resource use.

A concrete element is expected to last a certain number of years. In order to meet this
expected service life, it must be able to withstand structural loading, fatigue, weathering,
abrasion, and chemical attack. The duration and type of curing plays a big role in
determining the required materials necessary to achieve the high level of quality.

Curing is the process in which the concrete is protected from loss of moisture and kept
within a reasonable temperature range. The result of this process is increased strength and
decreased permeability. Curing is also a key player in mitigating cracks in the concrete,
which severely impacts durability. Cracks allow open access for harmful materials to
bypass the low permeability concrete near the surface. Good curing can help mitigate the
appearance of unplanned cracking.

When smart, suitable, and practical curing is used, the amount of cement required to
achieve a given strength and durability can be reduced by either omission or replacement
with supplementary cementitious materials. Since the cement is the most expensive and
energy intensive portion of a concrete mixture, this leads to a reduction in the cost as well
as the absolute carbon footprint of the concrete mixture. Additionally, practical curing
methods can enhance sustainability by reducing the need for resource intensive
conditioning treatments, should the curing method be incompatible with the intended
service environment.

Curing Pavements and Bridge Decks

While curing of concrete is an important issue with all concrete applications concrete
pavements and bridge decks require careful consideration and have significantly different
needs with regard to curing of the concrete of these structures. Both categories have basic
requirements for the durability of the structures including strength, abrasion resistance,
freezing and thawing and deicer resistance, and, in the case of bridges, low permeability for
corrosion protection of the reinforcement of the structure.

Typical recommendations for curing of pavements allow the use of sheet curing, moist
curing, or application of a film forming curing compound. Due to the large surface areas
typical of concrete paving the application of curing compound to all exposed surfaces is the
most common curing method. Moist curing and sheet curing of large surface areas may
become cost prohibitive due to the large quantity of materials required to cover the full
surface of concrete placed in any single day. In addition moist curing and sheet curing
require maintenance to assure the curing method is properly completed for the full time
duration chosen for paving (typically seven days). Moist coverings require rewetting and
sheet goods are prone to being disturbed by wind, either of which would reduce the
effectiveness of the curing method.

Curing compounds should be applied to pavements as soon as possible after bleed water
has left the surface of the concrete at a rate of 200 ft2/gal for standard mixtures and
application, 150 ft2/gal for fast track paving, and 100 ft2/gal for slabs thinner than 5.0
inches.

In contrast, concrete bridges require a higher standard of curing to achieve the low
permeability required for protection of steel reinforcement. Standard recommendations for
curing bridge decks is moist curing for a minimum of seven days for concrete mixtures
containing only portland cement and as long as 14 days when supplementary cementing
materials are included in the concrete mixture. Some states also require the application of
curing compound upon removal of the moist curing methods.

Typical moist curing for bridge decks requires the application of adequate quality water
saturated burlap or other approved absorptive material covered with minimum six mil
plastic covering. The temperature of the saturated materials should be within 20
degrees Fahrenheit of the temperature of the in-place concrete. In most cases plastic will be
specified to be white in color to reflect solar radiation, reducing the temperature rise
beneath the plastic, while cold temperatures (less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit) may allow
the use of black plastic to add heat to the system. Proper moist curing will also require
uncovering and rewetting the absorptive material to assure that there is a constant supply of
water available to satisfy the evaporation rate at the project site.