Effect of wet curing duration upon cover concrete characteristics

The dim of this paper is to quantify wet curing duration effects upon cover concrete characteristics defined by capillary suction and carbonation depth. Eight proportions of concrete cast with ordinary Portland cement and blended cement (four of each type) ave studied to cover a large range in the domain of commonly used concretes. Results show that coves concrete characteristics after one year ave closely related to curing duration, especially for low cement contents. Moreover, curing is more sensitive for concretes mixed with blended cement. Finally, strength at the end of curing seems to be an important factor in assessing cover concrete quality.