Self-Curing Concrete Properties and Applications
Summary
Self-curing concrete, or internally cured concrete, integrates water-retaining agents or prewetted porous materials within the cementitious matrix to maintain moisture for ongoing hydration. This internal provision of water significantly reduces autogenous shrinkage and minimises cracking at early ages, leading to denser microstructures and lower permeability. Enhanced hydration promotes the formation of calcium silicate hydrate and other stable cementitious phases, which in turn improves compressive, tensile and flexural strength. By obviating or reducing the need for external curing water, self-curing systems offer substantial water savings and logistical advantages, especially in arid climates, high-rise construction and remote infrastructure projects. Key variants include bio-based admixtures, synthetic polymers and lightweight aggregates, each engineered to desorb moisture gradually. Practical applications extend to marine structures, pavements, bridge decks and precast elements, where consistent curing conditions are difficult to maintain. The global push towards sustainable construction and resilience against water scarcity has driven rapid development of self-curing solutions, underscoring their potential for wide adoption in next-generation concrete technologies.
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Recent work has demonstrated the effectiveness of plant-based admixtures as internal curing agents. Trials using Aloe barbadensis miller and Musa x paradisiaca extracts showed that small dosages of these bio-admixtures outperform conventional polyethylene glycol in enhancing compressive, tensile and flexural strengths of M30 concrete. Characterisation by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy revealed earlier and more uniform formation of hydrated phases, validating the potential of sustainable bio-sources for moisture release.
Advances in polymeric self-curing have focused on polyethylene glycol (PEG) and data-driven optimisation. Studies employing PEG 400 as an internal curing agent, combined with artificial neural network modelling, identified optimal PEG dosages that maximise strength and durability under ambient curing. Microstructural analysis confirmed reduced pore sizes and accelerated hydration kinetics, while neural network predictions closely matched experimental performance, offering a robust tool for mix design.
Investigations into porous lightweight aggregates have explored sintered fly ash granules as self-curing media. Prewetted granules replaced a portion of fine aggregate in cement–sand mortars and released stored moisture over time, yielding compressive strengths approaching those of externally water-cured specimens. Detailed testing of water absorption and desorption behaviour, alongside ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements, highlighted the suitability of sintered fly ash aggregates for sustainable internal curing in both non-structural and structural applications.
Self-Curing Concrete Properties and Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in self-curing concrete properties and applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Self-curing concrete: Concrete formulated to retain and release internal moisture for hydration without reliance on external curing methods.
Internal curing: A curing approach that embeds water reservoirs within concrete to sustain hydration and reduce shrinkage.
Autogenous shrinkage: Volume reduction in concrete due to self-desiccation when internal moisture is consumed during hydration.
Polyethylene glycol (PEG): A water-soluble polymer used as an internal curing admixture to regulate moisture release.
Lightweight aggregate (LWA): Porous aggregates prewetted prior to mixing, which desorb stored water into the concrete matrix over time.
References
- Evaluation of Aloe barbadensis Miller and Musa x paradisiaca as Internal Curing Agents in Concrete. Sustainability (2023).
- Modelling and analysis of strength and durability properties of internal curing concrete using PEG 400 and artificial neural network. Discover Sustainability (2024).
- Assessment of Feasibility of Sintered Fly Ash Lightweight Aggregate as an Effective Self-Curing Additive for Sustainable Concreting Practice. E3S Web of Conferences (2024).
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