Effect of curing conditions on strength and durability of high-performance concrete

This paper describes the effects of variable curing temperatures on compressive strength and sulfate resistance of high-strength, high-performance concrete. two different concrete mixtures were proportioned to attain the 56-day compressive strength of about 70 mpa upon moist-curing. one mixture contained more quantity of astm class c fly ash than the other one. for each mixture, one set of specimens was cured in a standard moist-curing room at 23° c and 100% relative humidity; another set of specimens was sealed in plastic bags and cured in an elevated, variable-temperature curing environment (vtce). the average temperature of the vtce oscillated between about 30°c and 41°c once per day. this study revealed that the vtce-cured concrete did not significantly exhibit different compressive strength or ability to resist sulfates attack compared to the standard moist-cured specimens. thus, it was concluded, based on the results of this research, that additional effort to stabilize higher curing-temperatures would be necessary for field-cured concrete.