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When water is added to cement, each of the compounds undergoes hydration and contributes to the final state of the concrete. [2] Only calcium silicates contribute to the strength. Tricalcium silicate is responsible for most of the early strength (first 7 days). [3] Dicalcium silicate, which reacts more slowly, only contributes to late strength.
Properly curing concrete leads to increased strength and lower permeability and avoids cracking where the surface dries out prematurely. Care must also be taken to avoid freezing or overheating due to the exothermic setting of cement. Improper curing can cause spalling, reduced strength, poor abrasion resistance and cracking.
Concrete hardens as a result of the chemical reaction between cement and water (known as hydration and producing heat). For every mass (kilogram, pound, or any unit of weight) of cement (c), about 0.35 mass of water (w) is needed to fully complete the hydration reactions. [1]
Also in 1908, Thomas Edison experimented with pre-cast concrete in houses in Union, N.J. [37] In the US, after World War One, the long curing time of at least a month for Rosendale cement made it unpopular for constructing highways and bridges, and many states and construction firms turned to Portland cement. Because of the switch to Portland ...
To attempt to simplify and to stylize a very complex set of various reactions, the whole ASR reaction, after its complete evolution (ageing process) in the presence of sufficient Ca 2+ cations available in solution, could be compared to the pozzolanic reaction which would be catalysed by the undesirable presence of excessive concentrations of alkali hydroxides (NaOH and KOH) in the concrete.
A fairly well-defined reaction front can often be observed in thin sections; ahead of the front the concrete is normal, or near normal. Behind the reaction front, the composition and the microstructure of concrete are modified. These changes may vary in type or severity but commonly include: Extensive cracking; Expansion
Figure 4: Evolution in time of storage modulus G' and loss modulus G" during a curing reaction. A simple way to monitor the change in viscosity, and thus, the extent of the reaction, in a curing process is to measure the variation of the elastic modulus. [7] To measure the elastic modulus of a system during curing, a rheometer can be used. [7]
The ultimate strength of concrete is influenced by the water-cementitious ratio (w/cm), the design constituents, and the mixing, placement and curing methods employed.All things being equal, concrete with a lower water-cement (cementitious) ratio makes a stronger concrete than that with a higher ratio. [2]