Effect of curing method on the properties of blast- furnace slag concrete

Abstract EN

This research has been undertaken to study the effect of curing method on the mechanical properties and pore structure characteristics of concrete made with blast furnace slag.

The results were compared with those of a control concrete made with ordinary Portland cement.

The concrete mixtures were prepared with o.4 water / cementitious materials ratio.

The cement content is 400 kg / m3 with sand / aggregate ratio of 0.5.

The concrete specimens cured with two different methods, in the first method specimens were immersed in water while in the second method specimens maintained at 22 oC and 80% Relative Humidity (RH) and sprinkled with water two times a day for seven days.

The measured properties of fresh concrete cover the slump, air content, and unit weight.

The properties of hardened concrete such as compressive strength, dynamic elastic modulus, and pulse velocity were measured at ages of 3, 7, 28, 90, and 180.

Further, flexural strength and indirect tensile strength were measured ate age of 28 days.

After 28 days of curing, pore structure characteristics which involve porosity, cumulative intrusion volume, and specific pore surface area as well as pore size distributions were investigated using Mercury Intrusion Porosimeter (MIP).

The results indicated that changing cement type and curing method have significant effects on the measured different properties of concrete.