Title: Sustainable Internal Curing Materials Effect on Concrete Performance

Author(s): Sharifa Al-Fadala, Dana Dashti, Hussain Al-Baghli, Jayasree Chakkamalayath, and Zainab Awadh

Publication: Materials Journal

Volume:

Issue:

Appears on pages(s):

Keywords: compressive strength; humidity; mechanical properties; recycled aggregates; shrinkage; superabsorbent polymers; volcanic aggregates

DOI: 10.14359/51742261

Date: 9/13/2024

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 its 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 with two other types of ICMs on various properties of high-performance concrete in the hardened state under two curing conditions. Concrete mixes were prepared with pre-wetted recycled aggregates (RA), superabsorbent polymers (SAPs), and pre-wetted lightweight volcanic aggregates (LWVA) as ICMs. Concrete performance was compared through the investigation on 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 the 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 mixes containing RA under both air and water curing.