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Founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, USA, the American Concrete Institute is a leading authority and resource worldwide for the development, dissemination, and adoption of its consensus-based standards, technical resources, educational programs, and proven expertise for individuals and organizations involved in concrete design, construction, and materials, who share a commitment to pursuing the best use of concrete.
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Home > Tools > Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How can the effectiveness of curing be measured? A. Moisture control in freshly mixed concrete ensures that the desired properties are achieved and the likelihood of plastic shrinkage cracking is minimized. Evaporation loss exceeding a critical level may cause cracking before initial setting. Based on the wind velocity, air and concrete temperature, and the relative humidity, the evaporation rate can be estimated using a nomograph given in ACI PRC-308-16 and ACI PRC-305-20. Assuming there is adequate moisture, the strength of concrete in the structure can be estimated by a maturity index that relates the time and temperature increments in field concrete to the strength of cylinders of the same concrete mixture determined before the placement operations. Also, cores can be taken from the structure to ensure that the specified properties are achieved. Visual observation of the concrete surface would indicate if cracking has occurred due to lack of proper curing. References: SP-1(02); ACI PRC-308-16; ACI 209R-92; ACI 302.1R-15; ACI PRC-305-20; ACI 305.1-14(20) Topics in Concrete: Concrete Fundamentals; Curing; Hot Weather; Placing
Q. How can the effectiveness of curing be measured?
A. Moisture control in freshly mixed concrete ensures that the desired properties are achieved and the likelihood of plastic shrinkage cracking is minimized. Evaporation loss exceeding a critical level may cause cracking before initial setting. Based on the wind velocity, air and concrete temperature, and the relative humidity, the evaporation rate can be estimated using a nomograph given in ACI PRC-308-16 and ACI PRC-305-20. Assuming there is adequate moisture, the strength of concrete in the structure can be estimated by a maturity index that relates the time and temperature increments in field concrete to the strength of cylinders of the same concrete mixture determined before the placement operations. Also, cores can be taken from the structure to ensure that the specified properties are achieved. Visual observation of the concrete surface would indicate if cracking has occurred due to lack of proper curing.
References: SP-1(02); ACI PRC-308-16; ACI 209R-92; ACI 302.1R-15; ACI PRC-305-20; ACI 305.1-14(20)
Topics in Concrete: Concrete Fundamentals; Curing; Hot Weather; Placing
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