curing & prefabrication of concrete structures@hemadurgarao-iiit nuzvid
DESCRIPTION
Curing is very important phenomena to achieve design strength of design mix or concrete.TRANSCRIPT
P.Hema Durga Rao
By
• Need of curing
• What are the different types of methods
• Prefabrication
• What is curing ?
Curing can be defined as a procedure for insuring the hydration
of the Portland cement in newly-placed concrete. It generally
implies control of moisture loss and sometimes of
temperature.
Saturated
Saturated
Evaporation from water surface
Concrete
Water supplied from external source
• Hydration reaction of cement with water
• Loss of water by evaporation can be prevented
• Self-desiccation (desiccation = dry ness due to loss of water)
cause internal water loss
• Maintain conductive Temperature
• For completing of Hydration reaction
• For capillary segmentation
• It is most important in producing a strong, durable, and
watertight or impermeable concrete.
• Capillary porosity
capillary pores larger in size compared to that of gel pores, will allow water and hence aggressive chemicals into the concrete, which adversely affects the durability of concrete in long term
• C-S-H gel porosity
Less impact on concrete strength and durability
Fig: a)Capillary pores interconnected b) Partially connected capillary pores
• Inadequate strength
• Drying shrinkage and cracks at high temperatures
• Poorly segmented capillaries
• Immersion
• Ponding
• Spraying
• Covering with wet sand
• Wetted Hessian (gunny bags)
• Membrane curing
• Water proof plastic sheeting
• Steam curing
• Immersion
The precast concrete items are normally immersed in curing tanks
for certain duration.
• Ponding
Pavement slabs, roof slab etc. are covered under water by
making small ponds.
Fig: Ponding of slab
• Spraying
Vertical retaining wall or plastered surfaces or concrete
columns etc. are cured by spraying water.
• Wet covering
such as wet gunny bags, hessian cloth, jute matting, straw etc., are
wrapped to vertical surface for keeping the concrete wet.
Covering with Gunny bags
Curing with water proof paper or sheet
Hessians for concrete curing
• Sometimes concrete works are carried out in places where there is
acute shortage of water.
• Curing does not mean only application of water; it means also
creation of conditions for promotion of uninterrupted and
progressive hydration.
• The quantity of water, normally mixed for making concrete is more
than sufficient to hydrate the cement, provided this water is not
allowed to go out from the body of concrete. For this reason, concrete
could be covered with membrane which will effectively seal off
the evaporation of water from concrete.
• Sometimes, such films have been used at the interface of the ground
and concrete to prevent the absorption of water by the ground from
the concrete.(bituminous compounds, polyethylene or polyester film,
waterproof paper, rubber compounds etc.)
• Membrane curing is a good method of maintaining a
satisfactory state of wetness in the body of concrete to
promote continuous hydration when original water/cement
ratio used is not less than 0.5.
• Curing compound is an obvious choice for curing canal
lining, sloping roofs and textured surface of concrete
pavements.
• No doubt that curing compounds are not as efficient and as
ideal as water curing. The efficiency of curing compounds can
be at best be 80% of water curing.
Membrane curing by spraying
• The development of strength of concrete is a function of not only time but also that of temperature. When concrete is subjected to higher temperature it accelerates the hydration process resulting in faster development of strength.
• Subjecting the concrete to higher temperature and maintaining the required wetness can be achieved by subjecting the concrete to steam curing.
• Advantages of faster attainment of strength read it in rdg. Material.
• subjecting the concrete to higher temperature is done in the following manner:
a) Steam curing at ordinary pressure.
b) Steam curing at high pressure.
c) Curing by Infra-red radiation.
d) Electrical curing.
• Steam curing at ordinary pressure:
This method of curing is often adopted for prefabricated
concrete elements.
An accelerated hydration takes place at this higher
temperature and the concrete products attain the 28 days
strength of normal concrete in about 3 days.
Effect of curing temperature
on strength gain relative to
28-day strength of concrete
at 23°C (73°F)
Relation between strength, curing age at different temperatures
Relation between strength and curing temperatures at 1 & 28 days
Relation between strength and curing age at different temperatures
• The phenomenon of Retrogression of strength explains that
faster hydration will result in the formation of poor quality gels
with porous open structure.
• Concrete subjected to higher temperature at the early period
of hydration is found to lose some of the strength gained
at a later age. Such concrete is said to undergo
“Retrogression of Strength”.
Compressive strength Vs. Age
• Steam curing often adopted for precast elements, specially
prestressed concrete sleepers. Concrete sleepers are being
introduced on the entire Indian Railway.
• For rapid development of strength, they use special type
of cement namely IRST 40 and also subject the sleepers to
the steam curing.
• A steam-curving cycle consists of:
• an initial delay prior to steaming,
• a period for increasing the temperature,
• a period for retaining the temperature,
• a period for decreasing the temperature.
1 Initial delay prior to steaming 3 to 5 hours 2 Temperature increase period 2½ hours 3 Constant temperature period 6 to 12 hours* 4 Temperature decrease period 2 hours
Fig: A typical steam-curing cycle
Typical strength of steam cured concrete
• Steam curing High pressure:
The superheated steam at high pressure and high
temperature is applied on the concrete. This process is also called “Autoclaving”. This process is used for lightweight concrete products.
Advantages:
i) The strength developed does not show retrogression.
[ Why because? At high temperature the amorphous calcium
silicates are probably converted to crystalline forms. Probably due to high pressure the frame work of the gel will become more compact and dense. ]
ii) High pressure steam cured concrete exhibits lower drying shrinkage, and moisture movement.
iii) higher resistance to sulphate attack, freezing and
thawing action and chemical action. It also shows less efflorescence.
• Minimum days of curing required for segmentation of capillary
depends on W/C fro W/C of 0.4 3 days
W/C of .7 1 year
• For Dry and Hot conditions 10 and 14 days.
• As per IS 456: At least 7 days for OPC (ordinary Portland
cement)
• For Blended/concrete with mineral Admixture require 10 days.
• Concrete must be cured till it attains about 70% of
specified strength.
• Mass concrete, heavy footings, large piers, abutments, should
be cured for at least 2 weeks.
• Pozzolanic cement or concrete admixed with Pozzolanic
material is required to be cured for longer duration.
• Strength as a function of hydration time and temperature.
• The concept of “Maturity”, defined as function of product of curing
time „t‟ and curing temperature „T‟ [i.e. Maturity = f ( t, T)]
(or)
• As an equivalent age for concrete cured at some specified
temperature.
Fig:
Influence of curing temperature on the
strength of concrete cured at 10 °C (50 OF)
for the first 24 hours before storing at the
temperature
Fig: Compressive strength as a function of maturity
• Structural components are standardized and produced in
plants in a location away from the building, and then
transported to the site for assembly.
• main features of this construction process are:
The division and specialization of the human workforce.
The use of tools, machinery, and other equipment, usually
automated, in the production of standard, interchangeable parts
and products .
Advantages:
• Parallel activities and reduced time.
• Standardization is possible in this case. The advantage of
modular co- ordination can be realized in the long run.
• Modular Coordination:
Modular coordination is a set of dimensional rules.
Reduces variability of dimension of building components.
Uses a basic measurement(modular size) and restricted component
sizes.
Disadvantages of pre-cast concrete:
i) The initial cost of setting up such precast concrete yard is
very high.
ii) As it introduces monotony (i.e. all the structures in a particular
location look alike) may not be pleasant be look at.
Prefabrication Plants & Activities:
i) Permanent plants ii) Field plants iii) Fabrication on building site
• Three main groups of activities in prefabricated concrete
production:
i) Main production activity: activities such as preparation of
concrete mix, casting of mixed concrete, curing, inspection and hauling
of the hardened elements etc.
ii) Auxiliary production activities: This group of activities include,
raw materials procurement, storage and preparation, reinforcement
preparation, moulds preparation and
maintenance of equipment etc.
iii) Managerial, Technical and General Support: This group involves
engineering, production planning etc.
• Stationary moulds : activities such as reinforcement
preparation, casting, curing etc. will be carried out without
disturbing the position of the moulds with the aid of equipment.
• Movable moulds : at one place, the moulds are prepared,
at another place on the assembly line reinforcement is
installed, then the moulds moves to the next position on
the assembly line where mixed concrete is poured into the
moulds.
• Industrialized building construction.
• Bridges ( Segmental construction, Long or short line casting)
• Railway sleepers
• Industry and sport complexes
1. Cracks are formed in concrete why ?
Ans: i) Due to content in sand which absorbs water the concrete mixes
faces water stress and causes crakes. If curing is not done properly it can
happen .
Ii) So curing should be done as soon as concrete dries.
iii) Property burnt bricks should be use and they must be sued after 24
hours soaking.
2. What is compaction? Why it is done? What is the best way to do it?
Ans: when you mix various material together, there will be air entrapped
between them. It will effect the strength substantially.
The air has to be removed to attain maximum strength.
Steel rods or paddling sticks can be used but Mechanical
vibrators are ideal.
Any compacting device has to reach the bottom of form and
should be small enough to pass between reinforcement rods.