Effect of Curing Conditions on Mechanical Properties and Durability of Concrete
Abstract
This thesis presents the results for three different concrete mix designs with compression strengths of 4500 psi. The experiment was conducted in the Las Vegas area during the summer, from August 16th to October 12th, 2018, where temperatures and relative humidity was recorded daily, three times a day. In total, 135 concrete specimens (4” x 8”) were taken on site and were subjected to five different curing conditions.
For each concrete mix design, three concrete samples (4” x 8”) were taken and submitted for each curing condition, resulting in 45 cylinders for each concrete mix design. The same number of cylinders were taken for testing at seven days, 28 days, and 56 days, which was the final testing age for this study. There were 45 concrete cylinders per each mix design and 135 specimens in total for this experiment. All cylinders were subjected to the same tests at the time the samples were taken; the tests consisted of concrete temperature testing and unit weight testing. Additionally, for this research, in order to learn the chloride ion penetration and surface concrete resistivity, a non-destructive test using a Resipod device was performed. Furthermore, the same samples were subjected to compression strength tests.
Finally, for each mix design, the results obtained from all of the tests were analyzed with the assistance of tables and graphs, which provide significant data for the conclusions and recommendations of this thesis.