This CD consists of 14 papers presented at the ACI Fall Convention, Toronto, Canada, October 2012, and sponsored by ACI Committees 130, Sustainability of Concrete; 213, Lightweight Aggregate and Concrete; and 231, Concrete Properties at Early Ages.These papers cover the following general topics: impact on sustainability, mixture proportioning, internal curing methods and their implementation, hydration impacts, volume change effects, mechanical properties, cracking tendency, durability aspects, life-cycle cost analysis, and case studies that document the use of internal curing in full-scale production applications. Note: The individual papers are also available. Please click on the following link to view the papers available, or call 248.848.3800 to order. SP-290

Constructing large capacity, monolithically placed water storage tank slabs is a complex proposition. Previously, specifying low-shrinkage concrete mixes and monolithic placement of the slab within a specified time period was the prescribed method, yet shrinkage cracking still occurred. We felt more could be done to improve concrete placing and finishing, reducing shrinkage cracking and enhance durability. An investigation on the use of an Internally Cured Concrete mix on the floor and roof slabs of the Denver Water 10-Million Gallon [MG] (38-Million Liter [ML]) Lone Tree Tank No. 2 that Bates Engineering Inc. was designing was pursued. The tank floor and roof slab are each about 61,000 ft2 (5,700 m2) and would be monolithically placed. Laboratory trial batches performed determined plastic and hardened characteristics of the ICC as compared to traditionally proportioned mix designs. Tests performed in the laboratory included: compressive strength and drying shrinkage (ASTM C 157(1), modified 7-day saturation). An ICC mix was selected based on durability expectations. Results of the floor slab placement were successful and only two shrinkage cracks were observed, 7-day and 28-day compressive strength tests, workability and consistency surpassed expectations. As a result, it was decided to use ICC concrete on the remaining structural components.

In this research, ten different high performance concrete (HPC) mixtures internally cured by pre-wetted lightweight fine aggregate (LWFA) and/or shrinkage reducing admixture (SRA) were cast and their drying shrinkage strain was monitored using the ASTM C157 test. The data collected was used to evaluate six shrinkage prediction models, namely, ACI 209 model, CEB90 model, AASHTO model, B3 model, GL2000 model and ALSN model. The study finds that the GL2000 model shows the best overall performance in predicting shrinkage strain for internally cured HPC. However, more accurate long-term shrinkage prediction can be achieved based on the current ACI 209 model with experimental measurements. This proposed procedure is capable to predict long-term drying shrinkage for concrete using local materials mixture by using short-term experimental measurements.

The internal curing process is often referred to as “curing concrete from the inside out”. This process is accomplished by using materials that absorb water, such as lightweight aggregate, to replace some of the normalweight aggregate in the freshly placed concrete mixture. This absorbed water can then be released from the aggregate into the paste fraction as the paste begins to desiccate. By doing this the hydration reactions of cement and supplementary cementitious materials are enhanced, and capillary stresses are reduced as the water is readily released from the absorbent materials. This paper gives a general overview of internal curing, and will show how internal curing plays a practical and economical role in today’s move toward sustainable concrete. The paper will explain how internal curing works, why internal curing is used, summarize the modern history of internal curing, and how it affects the carbon footprint of a concrete mixture. In addition, how to adjust the concrete mixture to provide appropriate amount of internal curing, and reduce the life-cycle costs of the concrete. Examples of real projects that have used internally cured concrete will then be highlighted.

One strategy for achieving excellent long-term performance of concrete bridge decks is to combine low permeability with minimal early-age cracking. Low permeability can be achieved through the use of concretes with low water-cement ratios; however, topical curing techniques are usually insufficient to maximize hydration and minimize autogenous shrinkage effects. This autogenous shrinkage causes stresses in restrained concrete, which can lead to deleterious early-age cracking. Curing effectiveness can be enhanced through the implementation of prewetted lightweight fine aggregates. Internal curing is provided as the aggregate water gradually desorbs into the surrounding paste. A study of the early-age behavior of internally cured concrete is described in this paper. Internal curing was provided by means of expanded shale, clay, and slate lightweight fine aggregates. Ten mixtures with water-cement ratios of 0.42, 0.36, and 0.30 were investigated. Compressive and tensile strengths of the internally cured concretes were similar to or slightly greater than the strengths of their non-internally cured counterparts, and concrete stiffness decreased as expected in the internally cured mixtures. Autogenous shrinkage strains and stresses were found to increase as the water-cement ratio decreases. However, the autogenous effects were reduced or eliminated in the internally cured concretes.