Title: Influence of Curing Conditions on the Durability Related Properties of Near Surface Concrete and Cement Mortars

Author(s): F. R. Montgomery, P. A. M. Basheer and A. E. Long

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 131

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 127-138

Keywords: abrasion resistance; absorption; cements; curing; durability; in situ test methods; mortars (material); permeability; strength; water-cement ratio; Materials Research

DOI: 10.14359/1204

Date: 3/1/1992

Abstract:
Good curing is now recognized as essential to achieving good durability of concrete and other cementitious material surfaces. However, it has not been easy to judge whether or not it has been achieved on site, so surface failures continue to occur. The Department of Civil Engineering at the Queen's University of Belfast is developing a number of test techniques to allow the measurement of surface strength, surface absorption and permeability, and surface abrasion-resistance of structures on site. These have been used to assess the performance of various curing regimes for concrete and mortar, first to see if the test methods can extract meaningful measurements of durability-related properties, and secondly to get an indication of the magnitude of the changes in these properties for different curing regimes and water-cement ratios. It is hoped that they may eventually provide a means to assess a surface in terms that could allow an objective judgment of its durability.