Effect of non-standard curing and consolidation on strength of RC beams

Abstract EN

Reduction in concrete compressive strength and flexural strength of reinforced concrete beams due to inadequate consolidation and curing was assessed in this study.

The casting, consolidation and curing were conducted outdoors during dry and hot summer of Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

Three groups of specimens were prepared using a good quality ready-mixed concrete.

Each group comprised of ten reinforced concrete beams, five plain concrete beams for core testing and thirty standard cylinders.

All specimens were tested 28 days after casting.

Reinforced beams were tested under two point loads, and cores and cylinders were tested under direct compression.

The results indicated that although the inadequate consolidation and curing of concrete in hot and dry weather caused a significant reduction of more than 20 percent in the compressive strength, all the test beams main- tained flexural strength at least 20 percent higher than the code nominal flex- ural strength.