Efficiency of curing on partially exposed high-strength concrete in hot climate

This investigation aims at studying and evaluating the efficiency of existing concrete curing practices in hot climates. It deals with the effect of curing methods on compressive strength development of high-strength concrete (HSC). The efficiency of curing methods was evaluated in terms of concrete compressive strength of samples tested at 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 270 days. The strength of samples cured under four different curing regimes was compared with the strength results of water-cured samples, which is designated as the control regime. In order to simulate actual site conditions, only the top-as-cast face of the samples was left exposed to the climatic conditions. It was found that the effect of curing regimes on strength is highly influenced by the exposure environment. Noticeable difference in the influences of the curing methods was observed for indoor samples only. Moreover, strength of samples stored in the outdoor environment (OD) exhibited lower results than those stored indoors (ID) for all curing regimes. The finding of this investigation indicates a deficiency in the curing practices in the region. Actual curing practices had no significant effects on strength specially those samples cured in a hot dry OD. More care and more efficient curing methods and techniques should be considered when dealing with hot dry climate. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.