International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)

SELF-CURING
GUIDED BY

R. Sundharam M.E(Structural Engineering)

PROJECT MEMBER

M.Priya, S.Ranjitha, R.Tamil Elakkiya

INTRODUCTION: parking structures, brick/block walls and

CONCRETE:
Concrete is a composite construction
material composed of cement (commonly
Portland cement) and other cementitious
materials such as fly ash and slag cement,
aggregate (generally a coarse aggregate
made of gravels or crushed rocks such as
limestone, or granite, plus a fine aggregate
such as sand), water, and chemical
admixtures.
The word concrete comes from the Latin
word "concretus" (meaning compact or
condensed), the perfect passive participle of
"concresco", from "com-" (together) and
"cresco" (to grow).
Concrete solidifies and hardens after mixing
with water and placement due to a chemical
process known as hydration. The water
reacts with the cement, which bonds the
other components together, eventually
creating a robust stone-like material.
Concrete is used to make pavements, pipe,
architectural structures, foundations, and
motorways/roads, bridges/overpasses,
footings for gates, fences and poles.
Concrete is used more than any other man-
made material in the world. As of 2006,
about 7.5 cubic kilometers of concrete are
made each yearmore than one cubic meter
for every person on Earth.
Definition of Self Curing
The ACI-308 Code states that
self-curing refers to the process by which
the hydration of cement occurs because of
the availability of additional internal water
that is not part of the mixing Water.
Conventionally, curing concrete means
creating conditions such that water is not
lost from the surface i.e., curing is taken to
happen from the outside to inside. In
contrast, self-curing is allowing for curing
from the inside to outside through the
internal reservoirs (in the form of saturated
lightweight fine aggregates, superabsorbent
polymers, or saturated wood fibers) created.
Self-curing is often also referred as
Internalcuring.
SELF CURING CONCRETE

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International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)
The concept of curing and recognition
of its contribution to obtain desirable
properties of concrete is not novel. This
technique has been adopted to maintain
moisture and temperature conditions in a
freshly placed cementious mixture to allow
hydraulic cement hydration and pozzolanic
reactions to occur so that the potential
properties of the mixture may develop.
In earlier stage though it has not
received proper attention but nowadays it is
found to be one of major concern in the
study of concrete performance. However the
concept of self-curing has been developed
and now been in practice to eliminate some
problems occurred in case of traditional
curing. According to the definition provided
in American Concrete Institute(ACI)
Terminology guide self-curing is supplying
water throughout a freshly placed
cementitious mixture using reservoirs, via
pre-wetted lightweight aggregates, that
readily release water as needed for hydration
or to replace moisture lost through
evaporation or self-desiccation(American
Concrete Institute.2010). From this
definition two major objectives of objectives
of self-curing can be identified as
maximizing hydration and minimizing self-
desiccation along with its accompanying
stresses which may cause early-age
cracking.
The principal contribution of self-
curing results in the reduction of
permeability that develops from a significant
extension in the time of curing. Self-curing
reduces plastic shrinkage cracking and
settlement. Also a life-cycle cost reduction
was estimated when internally cured high
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performance concrete is used instead of
normal concrete. So far different materials
has been self-curing such as super
Absorbent Polymers(SAP),Wood Powder,
crushed return concrete aggregates, pre-
wetted light weight aggregates(LWA)
expanded shale,clays,and slates.
Advantages of self curing concrete
Reduces autogenously cracking.
self-curing
Reduce the permeability.
Increases mortar strength and early
age strength sufficient to withstand
strain.
Greater utilization of cement.
Lower Maintenances.
Advantages of Internal Curing:
a. Internal curing (IC) is a method to
provide the water to hydrate all the cement,
accomplishing what the mixing water alone
cannot do. In low w/c ratio mixes (under
0.43 and increasingly those below 0.40)
absorptive lightweight aggregate, replacing
some of the sand, provides water that is
desorbed into the mortar fraction (paste) to
be used as additional curing water. The
cement, not hydrated by low amount of
mixing water, will have more water
available to it.
b. IC provides water to keep the
relative humidity (RH) high, keeping self-
desiccation from occurring.
c. IC eliminates largely autogenous
shrinkage.
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International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)
d. IC maintains the strengths of
mortar/concrete at the early age (12 to 72
hrs.) above the level where internally &
externally induced strains can cause
cracking.
e. IC can make up for some of the
deficiencies of external curing, both human
related (critical period when curing is
required is the first 12 to 72 hours) and
hydration related (because hydration
products clog the passageways needed for
the fluid curing water to travel to the cement
particles thirsting for water). Following
factors establish the dynamics of water
movement to the unhydrated cement
particles:
i. Thirst for water by the hydrating
cement particles is very intense,
ii. Capillary action of the pores in the
concrete is very strong, and
iii. Water in the properly distributed
particles of LWA (fine) is very fluid.
Potential Materials for Self Curing
The following materials can provide
internal water reservoirs:
Lightweight Aggregate (natural and
synthetic, expanded shale),
LWS Sand (Water absorption =17
%)
LWA 19mm Coarse (Water
absorption = 20%)
Super-absorbent Polymers (SAP)
(60-300 mm size)
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SRA (Shrinkage Reducing
Admixture) (propylene glycol type
i.e. polyethylene-glycol)
Wood powder
Chemicals to Achieve Selfcuring
Some specific water-soluble chemicals
added during the mixing can reduce water
evaporation from and within the set
concrete, making it self-curing. The
chemicals should have abilities to reduce
evaporation from solution and to improve
water retention in ordinary Portland cement
matrix.
Water Required for Selfcuring
It depends upon chemical and autogenous
shrinkages expected during hydration
reactions.
Types of Shrinkage Drying
Shrinkages may occur at early ages or at
later ages over a longer period; different
types of shrinkages may be identified as :
Drying shrinkage, autogenous shrinkage,
thermal shrinkage, and carbonation
shrinkage.
Reason for Chemical Shrinkage
Chemical shrinkage is an internal volume
reduction due to the absolute volume of the
hydration
Products being less than that of the reactants
(cement and water). For example: Hydration
of tricalcium silicate:
C3S + 5.3 H -> C1.7SH4 + 1.3 CH
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International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)
Molar volumes
71.1 + 95.8 -> 107.8 + 43 i.e, 166.9 -> 150.8
Therefore,
Chemical shrinkage = (150.8 166.9) / 166.9
= -0.096 mL/mL = -0.0704 mL/g cement
For complete reaction of each gram of
tricalcium silicate, there is a need to supply
0.07 gram of extra curing water to maintain
saturated conditions. (A value of 0.053 for
75% hydration at 28 day was experimentally
observed by Powers in 1935).
Quantity of Chemical Shrinkage
Portland cement hydration is typically
accompanied by a chemical shrinkage on the
order of 0.07 mass of water per mass of
cement for complete hydration: for silica
fume, slag, and fly ash, these coefficients are
about 0.22, 0.18, and 0.10 to 0.16,
respectively. It can be measured by ASTM
standard test method, C1608
Autogenous Shrinkage
It is as a volume change in concrete
occurring without moisture transfer from the
environment intoconcrete. It is due to the
internal chemical and structural reactions of
the concrete. Autogenous shrinkage is
prominent in HPCs due to the reduced
amount of water and increased amount of
various binders used.
At early ages (the first few hours), before
the concrete has formed a hardened
skeleton, autogenous shrinkage is often due
to only chemical shrinkage. At later ages
(>1+days), the autogenous shrinkage can
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also result from self-desiccation since the
hardened skeleton resists the chemical
shrinkage.
The external (macroscopic) dimensional
reduction of the cementitious system under
isothermal sealed curing conditions; can be
100 to 1000 micro strains.
NEED FOR THE STUDY
Normal concrete lacks required
strength and durability which are
happened due inefficient water
curing. While after casting the
concrete, the curing plays a crucial
role in construction.
Therefore it is felt necessary to
improve the strength and durability
of concrete by internal curing with
suitable admixtures to cater present
need.
Need for Selfcuring
When the mineral admixtures react
completely in a blended cement system,
their demand for curing water (external or
internal) can be much greater than that in a
conventional ordinary Portland cement
concrete. When this water is not readily
available, due to depercolation of the
capillary porosity, for example, significant
autogenous deformation and (early-age)
cracking may result.
Due to the chemical shrinkage occurring
during cement hydration, empty pores are
created within the cement paste, leading to a
reduction in its internal relative humidity
and also to shrinkage which may cause
early-age cracking. This situation is
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International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)

intensified in HPC (compared to

conventional concrete) due to its generally
higher cement content, reduced
water/cement (w/ c) ratio and the pozzolanic
mineral admixtures (fly ash, silica fume).
The empty pores created during self-
desiccation induce shrinkage stresses and
also influence the kinetics of cement
hydration process, limiting the final degree
of hydration. The strength achieved by IC
could be more than that possible under
saturated curing conditions.

Often specially in HPC, it is not easily

possible to provide curing water from the
top surface at the rate required to satisfy the
ongoing chemical shrinkage, due to the
extreme

Experimental Investigations
Materials Used

Cement

Fine Aggregate

Coarse Aggregate

Water

Wood Powderly low permeability

often achieved.

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International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)

Mix Design Nominal maximum size of aggregate =

20mm
Design stipulation:
Water content = 186
Characteristic compressive strength required Kg/m3
in the field at 28 days 20 N/mm2
Sand in percentage = 35
Maximum size of coarse aggregate = %
20mm (angular)
Compaction factor = 0.9
Degree of workability =
0.9 W/c ratio = 0.60

Degree of quality control

= good

Type of exposure Therefore required sand content as

= mild percentage of total aggregate by absolute
Test data for Materials: volume

Specific gravity of Coarse Aggregate =35% -

3.5%
= 2.67
Correction of sand = 31.5%
Specific gravity of Fine Aggregate
= 2.61 Required water content = 186+3 % of
186
Specific gravity of Cement
= 3.15 =191.6
lit/m3
Sand zone - III
Determination of cement content
Cement used OPC(zuari cement)
Water cement ratio = 0.50
Target mean strength
Water = 191.6 lit
fck =fck+t*s
Cement = 191.6/0.5
=20+(1.65x4)
=383
= 26.6 N/mm2 Kg/m3

Selection of water cement ratio Correction of sand = 31.5%

W/C ratio=0.50 =
0.315
Selection of water content
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International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)

Correction of coarse aggregate =100- 0.5 1 1.43 3.18

31.5%

(1- ) =68.5%
M20 mix ratio for 1 cube for conventional
= concrete:
0.685
Water Cement Fine Aggregate
Coarse aggregate

CALCULATION OF AGGREGATE 646.65lit 1.29kg 1.85kg 4.114 Kg

CONTENT:

FINE AGGREGATE:

V=[w+(c/sc)+(1/)+(fa/Sfa)]X(1/1000)
WOOD POWDER TAKEN IN VOLUME
For 20mm aggregate entrapped air 2 % BATCH:

V=1-(2/100) = 0.98

0.98 = Wood powder with mould

[191.6+(383/3.15)+(1/0.315)(fa/2.61)]x[1/1 =7.612kg
000]
Empty weight of the mould
fa= 548 Kg/m3 =6.922kg

Therefore Wood powdered in 1 cube

= (7.612-6.922)
COARSE AGGREGATE:

=0.69kg
Ca =[(1-p)/p] X fa X(Sca/Sfa)

Ca =[(1-0.315)/0.315] X 548
ADDITIONALLY ADDED WOOD
X(2.67/2.61)
POWDER FOR VARIOUS
Ca =1219 Kg/m3 PERCENTAGES IN ONE
CONVENTIONAL CONCRETE CUBE:
Mix Proportion:
2% by the required volume =
M20 MIX RATIO: [(0.69X2)/100] = 0.0138kgms.

Water Cement Fine Aggregate 4% by the required volume =

Coarse aggregate [(0.69X4)/100] = 0.0276kgms.

191.6lit 383kg 548kg 1219 Kg

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International Conference on Current Research in Engineering Science and Technology (ICCREST-2016)

6% by the required volume = strain when compared to the

[(0.69X6)/100] = 0.0414kgms. conventional concrete cubes.
Concrete, in the 21st century, needs
to be more controlled by the choice
of ingredients rather than by the
uncertainties of construction
practices and the weather. Instead of
Compressive Strength Test on Cube curing through external applications
( 7 days and 28 daysTest ) of water, concrete quality will be
COMPARE CONVENTIONAL CONCRETE AND engineered through the incorporation
ADDITIONALLY ADDED WOOD POWDERED
CONCRETE of water absorbed within the internal
7 days strength 28 days strength
33Mpa
34.66Mpa curing agent.
30.22Mpa
26.6Mpa
24Mpa 22.6Mpa 23.5Mpa 23.7Mpa
REFERENCES
The authors thank Dr. N. Lakshmanan,
conventional wood powder wood powder wood powder
Director, SERC, Chennai, for permitting to
added 2% added 4% added 6%
publish this paper.

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