Title:
Sustainable Internal Curing Materials’ Effect on Concrete Performance
Author(s):
S. Al-Fadala, D. Dashti, H. Al-Baghli, J. Chakkamalayath, and Z. Awadh
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
121
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
55-66
Keywords:
compressive strength; humidity; mechanical properties; recycled aggregates; shrinkage; superabsorbent polymers; volcanic aggregates
DOI:
10.14359/51742261
Date:
12/1/2024
Abstract:
Compared to external curing, internal curing enables the judicious
use of available water to provide additional moisture in concrete
for more effective hydration and improvement in the performance
of concrete structures. However, certain challenges with
the incorporation of internal curing materials (ICMs) still need
to be addressed, as their effectiveness depends on several factors.
Furthermore, sustainable construction demands the use of recycled
materials, and this paper discusses the comparative evaluation of
recycled aggregate (RA) as an ICM, along with two other types
of ICMs, on various properties of high-performance concrete in
the hardened state under two curing conditions. Concrete mixtures
were prepared with pre-wetted RAs, superabsorbent polymers
(SAPs), and pre-wetted lightweight volcanic aggregates (LWVAs)
as ICMs. Concrete performance was compared through the investigation of the strength development, shrinkage, mass loss, and
volumetric water absorption. In addition, the change in internal
humidity of concrete with time at different stages of hardening was
determined. The compressive strength results showed that RA and
LWVA are more efficient in early days, and the performance of SAP
is better in the later age due to its slow water releasing capabilities.
Compared to the control mixture, the least reduction in strength of
4% and 8% at 28 days and 90 days, respectively, could be observed
for the mixtures containing RA under both air and water curing.