Concrete Staining Procedure

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2.0 INTRODUCTION TO CURING

Curing is basically a process that controls the rate and extent of moisture lost in a concrete during the operation of cement hydration. A concrete takes a period of time (hours, days, weeks) depending on the types of concrete used in order for it to reach its potential strength and durability. Henceforth, the process of curing is needed.

Besides that, there are also a few factors that affecting the curing period, depending on the types of concrete used. For instance, the temperature and the humidity of the atmosphere are dependent on the duration for the concrete to cure.

To be more precise, the main purpose of curing is actually to retain the saturation of the concrete. This is because the uncured cement paste …show more content…

It must be taken care of to avoid damages or torn of the plastic sheeting. The minimum thickness of sheet is normally 0.01mm so that it would not be able to be torn easily. Appropriate color of the sheet also carries a vital role for ambient condition. In general, plastic sheet with dark or dim color will absorb heat faster which is unsuitable for concrete but it is beneficial in accelerating the rate of hydration in a cold weather. In contrast, white or lightly colored sheets are often used for when the weather is hot as it helps to reflect the ultraviolet rays from the …show more content…

The concrete should go through a pre-set time that is recommended for two to three hours. Then, a period of time needed to increase the curing-cell temperatures to target temperature which known as ramp time. If temperature exceeds 22 oC/ hour, cracking might occurred due to thermal shock. To avoid delayed ettringite formation (DEF), ambient curing temperature shall not go beyond 65 oC.

The concretes are placed inside a room or chamber for steam curing. Basically, the heat and moisture will penetrate at the very fast rate to ensure hydration occurred entirely. Operator is able to regulate the appropriate temperature, humidity and pressure level by using a control panel. Compare to outdoor curing, it will be much challenging as it is impossible to control these factors. Therefore, the whole process is usually supervised and lesser time needed to harden the concrete. However, the concrete might become weaker in the long run. Minor issues such as crumbling are more likely to develop using steam curing. One day, these minor problems would slowly turn into major predicaments if no action were

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