Effect of Curing Methods on Early-Age and Drying Shrinkage of High-Performance Concrete

Many engineers and agencies have observed that the field implementation of high-performance concrete (HPC) is highly dependent on curing and placing conditions. The effect of curing conditions on the early-age properties and long-term durability of HPC is not fully understood. There is a need to expand the knowledge of early-age properties and of the effect of pozzolanic material (like silica fume and fly ash) on drying shrinkage. Results are presented of a study performed to identify the effect of various curing methods on the early-age (autogenous) as well as drying shrinkage of normal and lightweight HPC. The study included a comparison of available analytical models for predicting early-age and drying shrinkage with results from tests performed on different mixes. HPC mixes were developed and evaluated as part of an overall study for the New Jersey Department of Transportation to develop and implement mix designs and technical specifications for HPC transportation structures, such as pavements and bridges. The effect of using three different curing methods on the early-age performance of HPC is presented. The curing conditions consisted of air-dry curing, burlap or moist curing, and use of a curing compound. Results show that moist (burlap) curing should be applied within 1 h after the placement of concrete to improve early-age performance. For very low water-to-cement plus pozzolan ratios, fly ash and lightweight aggregate improved the autogenous shrinkage performance. Moreover, current shrinkage models need to be revised to address HPC mixes.