Name: how curing improves concrete strength
Uploaded: 2024-11-07T14:48:35.000Z
Duration: 1 min 20 s
Channel: JoVE

L’hydratation du ciment se produit dans les pores capillaires remplis d’eau de la pâte de ciment.
Des facteurs environnementaux tels que la température de l’air, l’humidité et le vent peuvent provoquer l’évaporation, éliminant l’eau de la surface du béton nouvellement placé.
Alternativement, si le béton est scellé et que son rapport eau-ciment est inférieur à 0,5, le séchage interne entraîne une perte d’eau libre.
Le durcissement empêche la perte d’eau du béton en saturant le béton pour maintenir des niveaux adéquats d’humidité et de température nécessaires à la poursuite du processus d’hydratation. 
Une fois que le ciment a atteint sa prise finale, le durcissement commence et se poursuit jusqu’à ce que les capillaires de la pâte de ciment hydratée soient segmentés en raison du remplissage de produits d’hydratation, ce qui rend le béton imperméable et durable.
Si le béton est laissé sécher à l’air libre sans durcir, il est sujet au retrait, ce qui entraîne la formation de fissures de surface. De plus, il n’atteint qu’environ 50 % de la résistance à la compression du béton qui a été durci par l’humidité en continu.
Enfin, plus la durée de durcissement est longue, plus la résistance à la compression du béton est élevée.

durcissement du béton

L'hydratation du ciment se produit dans les pores capillaires remplis d'eau. Cependant, des facteurs environnementaux peuvent perturber ce processus faisant évaporer l'eau des surfaces en béton. Le béton scellé avec un rapport eau-ciment inférieur à 0,5 subit une auto-dessiccation, ce qui entraîne une perte d'eau. La perte d'eau dans le béton est atténuée par le durcissement. Cette technique consiste à maintenir le béton saturé pour maintenir les conditions de température et d'humidité nécessaires, afin de remplir de manière optimale les espaces de la pâte de ciment initialement occupés par l'eau avec des produits d'hydratation. Le durcissement commence une fois que le ciment a atteint la prise finale. Le béton laissé sécher sans durcissement peut rétrécir et se fissurer et n'atteindra probablement que la moitié de la résistance du béton durci en continu pendant 28 jours. La durée de durcissement est directement liée à la résistance finale à la compression et à la traction du béton, ce qui souligne l'importance de cette pratique non seulement pour la résistance, mais aussi pour garantir d'autres propriétés souhaitables comme la durabilité, l'étanchéité à l'eau, la résistance à l'abrasion et au gel-dégel. Cet effet est plus marqué dans les éléments de structure plus minces et dans les mélanges à forte teneur en ciment, alors que le béton à granulats légers est moins affecté. De plus, le béton à air occlus est moins influencé par les conditions de durcissement que le béton sans air occlus.

Durcissement du béton

L’hydratation du ciment se produit dans les pores capillaires remplis d’eau de la pâte de ciment.
Des facteurs environnementaux tels que la température de l’air, l’humidité et le vent peuvent causer ...

Education

Enseignement

JoVE Core

Civil Engineering

Génie civil

Unit 1

Unité 1

Mixing, Placing and Curing Concrete 

Mélange, mise en œuvre et cure du béton

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

TERMES ET CONCEPTS CLÉS

Curing of Concrete

how curing improves concrete strength

Curing helps concrete gain strength after it has set. It keeps the concrete moist and at the right temperature so cement hydration can continue. Hydration is the process where cement reacts with water in the water-filled capillary pores and forms the products that fill spaces in the paste.

Dry air can interrupt this process by pulling water from the concrete surface. Concrete with a water-cement ratio below 0.5 can also lose water through self-desiccation, which means internal water is used up as hydration continues. Curing reduces this water loss by keeping the surface saturated.

Curing begins after the cement reaches final set. If concrete is allowed to dry without curing, it may shrink and crack. It may also reach only about half the strength of concrete that is continuously cured for 28 days.

The length of curing affects the final compressive strength and tensile strength of concrete. It also helps improve durability, water tightness, abrasion resistance, and freeze-thaw resistance. The effect is stronger in thin structural elements and in mixes with a high cement content. Lightweight aggregate concrete is less affected, and air-entrained concrete is less influenced by curing conditions than non-air-entrained concrete.

How Curing Improves Concrete Strength

mixing concrete

Concrete Mixer Types and Capacity

Concrete mixing creates a uniform blend of cement, aggregates, and paste. The goal is to coat the aggregates evenly with cement paste. Mixers used for this job are usually grouped into two main types: batch mixers and continuous mixers. Batch mixers handle one load at a time. They mix the materials thoroughly, discharge the batch, and then receive the next one. Continuous mixers work differently. They take in a steady flow of ingredients, mix them at a constant rate, and discharge the concrete...

mixing time

Concrete Mixer Charging and Timing

Concrete mixer charging and timing are key to making a uniform concrete mix with the needed strength. Mixing begins only after all ingredients are inside the mixer. The usual charging order starts with 10% of the water, then the solid materials are added steadily, followed by 80% of the water. The last portion of water is added later, within the first quarter of the total mixing period. The minimum mixing time depends on mixer capacity. Mixers with up to 1 cubic yard of capacity need at least...

ready mixed concrete

How Ready-Mixed Concrete Is Delivered

Ready-mixed concrete is prepared at a centralized plant and then delivered by truck to a construction site. It arrives ready for placement, which makes it different from concrete mixed entirely on site. Ready-mixed concrete includes three main forms: central-mixed, truck-mixed, and shrink-mixed. Central-mixed concrete is fully mixed at the plant and carried to the site in agitator trucks. These trucks rotate at 2 to 6 rpm, which helps keep the concrete in motion during transport. Truck-mixed...

pumped concrete

Concrete Pumping for Hard-to-Reach Sites

Concrete pumping moves large amounts of concrete through pipes to places that are hard to reach. It is used for sites such as deep foundation pits and other inaccessible locations. The system includes a hopper, a pump, and pipelines that carry the concrete to the placement point. Direct-acting pumps use a piston to move the concrete. Concrete enters the pump through the inlet valve by gravity and by suction created as the piston moves. The forward movement of the piston then pushes the...

placing concrete

Concrete Placement Methods and Compaction

Concrete placement methods focus on keeping the mix in a uniform shape and position. The concrete is placed as close as possible to its final location to reduce segregation, which is the separation of ingredients. It is then fully compacted to remove trapped air. The next layer is added while the layer below is still plastic, or soft enough to shape. The rate of placing and compacting concrete is kept equal. Concrete is laid in uniform layers, and hand shoveling is avoided. Moving concrete...

vibrating concrete

Concrete Compaction with Vibrators

Concrete compaction with vibrators helps newly poured concrete settle inside formwork and around reinforcement bars. The goal is to remove trapped air pockets and create a dense concrete mass. Mechanical vibration is a key part of that process. One common method uses an internal vibrator, also called a poker vibrator or immersion vibrator. It is quickly inserted through the full depth of the fresh concrete and slightly into the layer below, which is still in a plastic state. The vibrator is...

shotcrete

Shotcrete for Vertical and Overhead Surfaces

Shotcrete is a concrete spraying method used on vertical and overhead surfaces. It uses mortar or small aggregate concrete with a high cement content. The material is sprayed at high velocity, and the impact helps compact it so it can cling without sagging. Builders place shotcrete in layers until it reaches about 4 inches thick. The quality depends strongly on the operator’s skill in managing the nozzle. Careful nozzle control helps the material land evenly and build up properly. Shotcrete...

preplaced aggregate concrete

Concrete Placement for Tight Spaces

Preplaced aggregate concrete is used when a construction site is hard to reach. The process starts by wetting gap-graded coarse aggregates. This helps remove dirt from the stones. The aggregates are then placed in the form and compacted. Next, a mortar mix is pumped under pressure through slotted pipes to fill the spaces between the aggregates. The mortar usually contains Portland cement, pozzolan, fine aggregates, water, and a fluidizing aid. The pozzolan reduces bleeding and segregation and...

finishing concrete

Concrete Surface Finishing Steps

Concrete surface finishing begins right after the concrete has been placed and consolidated. The first step is screeding, which levels the surface by removing extra material until it is even with the top of the formwork. A screed is a straight edge used for this leveling step. After screeding, a bull float or darby is used to smooth the surface further. These tools help lower high spots, fill low areas, and push larger aggregate particles deeper into the concrete. This preparation should...

curing of concrete

Curing helps concrete gain strength after it has set. It keeps the concrete moist and at the right temperature so cement hydration can continue. Hydration is the process where cement reacts with water in the water-filled capillary pores and forms the products that fill spaces in the paste. Dry air can interrupt this process by pulling water from the concrete surface. Concrete with a water-cement ratio below 0.5 can also lose water through self-desiccation, which means internal water is used up...

curing methods

Concrete Curing for Moisture Retention

Concrete curing for moisture retention helps fresh concrete keep the water it needs as it hardens. For members with a small surface-to-volume ratio, the forms are often oiled and moistened before the concrete is placed. These forms may stay in place for a long time to reduce moisture loss. If the form material can be wetted, it can also be kept damp. When forms are removed early, the concrete member is moistened and then covered with polythene sheets. Large horizontal concrete surfaces in dry...

accelerated curing of concrete

How Concrete Gains Strength Faster

Concrete can gain strength faster when heat and extra moisture speed up cement hydration. This faster hydration helps the concrete build early strength sooner than normal curing. The process is used when quicker hardening is needed after casting. One common method is steam curing. Concrete products may move through a chamber on a conveyor belt, or they may be encased in plastic so steam at atmospheric pressure can circulate around them. Steam curing starts with moist curing for about 3 to 5...

key terms and concepts

Learn how curing keeps concrete moist after final set, supports hydration, and improves strength, durability, water tightness, and crack resistance.

How Curing Improves Concrete Strength | JoVE K12

JoVE Core Civil Engineering provides a foundational exploration of essential construction materials in civil engineering, focusing on bricks, stones, steel, wood, and concrete through easy-to-understand animated videos. This collection covers the properties, manufacturing processes, and practical applications of these materials. Additionally, the accompanied science-in-action videos demonstrate the research experiments performed in laboratories.

civil engineering

How Curing Improves Concrete Strength

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