Title:
Water Movement during Internal Curing
Author(s):
Dale P. Bentz, Phillip M. Halleck, Abrahm S. Grader, and John W. Roberts
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
28
Issue:
10
Appears on pages(s):
39-45
Keywords:
compressive strength; degree of hydration; high-performance concrete; internal curing; x-ray microtomography
DOI:
Date:
10/1/2006
Abstract:
Internal curing provides internal reservoirs that supply hydrating cement paste with the water needed to maintain saturation. This is especially critical during the first day of hydration in high-performance concretes, as without it, significant autogenous shrinkage and cracking can occur. In the study described in this article, three-dimensional x-ray microtomography was used to observe water movement from saturated lightweight aggregate used for internal curing of a high-performance mortar. The observations presented are supported by more conventional measures of performance.