Preliminary Investigation into Using Resistance Techniques to Assess Concrete Curing

Abstract

Concrete curing is a critical stage during construction for volume stability, long-term strength development, and ultimate durability. Poor curing can lead to shrinkage, scaling, and other durability issues. Proper concrete curing maintains sufficient moisture in the concrete and allows continuous hydration. Curing for concrete pavements often involves the application of a membrane-forming curing compound to help minimize moisture evaporation and promote desirable concrete property development. However, assessing the application rate of curing compounds and effectiveness on freshly paved concrete is difficult, as most evaluation methods are performed on hardened concrete and are not applicable or difficult to assess for fresh concrete in the field. This study proposes electrical resistance as a measure to assess the drying behavior of fresh concrete to quantify the effectiveness of curing. The findings of this study demonstrate that resistance is able to distinguish between samples with and without curing compounds and significant differences in drying observed between the surface and relatively shallow depths. In addition, the testing techniques were able to differentiate between the quality and rate of curing compound application and evaluate performance across a variety of environmental conditions. These findings indicate that a resistance-based approach could be a low-cost and non-destructive technique to evaluate the effectiveness of curing compound applications in real-time.