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Accelerating strength gain aims to create a favorable temperature for hydration to occur.
Steam curing
This method is useful in cold weather or when early strength gain is important. There are two
methods of curing:
Maximum temperatures range from 104°to 212°F (40° to 100°C), with the optimum being in the
150°to 175°F (65°to 80°C) range. The higher the initial temperature of the curing environment,
the lower the ultimate strength. This means that the temperature used will be a compromise
between the rate of strength gain and the ultimate strength.
During curing, the concrete is taken through a curing cycle consisting of the following stages:
With careful temperature selection, the strength of concrete after 3 days can exceed the 28-day
strength of normally cured concrete. Besides the early strength gain, steam-cured concrete has
reduced drying shrinkage and creep as compared to normally cured concrete.
Insulating blankets
When temperatures fall below freezing, layers of dry porous material such as straw may be
used to insulate the concrete from the cold. Formwork can also be economically insulated with
commercial blanket. Framed enclosures of canvas, polyethylene or other material can also be
used and heated by space heaters or steam.
In these cases care needs to be taken to ensure that temperatures do not rise excessively.
Hot oil may also be circulated through steel forms to heat the concrete. Infra-red rays may also
be used to heat concrete under a covering or steel forms.