This document discusses self-curing concrete as an alternative to traditional water curing methods. Self-curing concrete contains chemical compounds that restrict the mixing water from leaving the curing concrete, allowing hydration to continue. This eliminates the need for external water curing in remote areas or projects where water access is limited. Self-curing concrete provides benefits like higher strength, durability, and resistance to cracking compared to uncured concrete through its internal curing mechanism. It is a useful technique when traditional water curing is not feasible or economical.

2. CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Curing of Concrete
 Importance of curing
 Types of curing
 Self curing concrete
 Need of self curing
 Mechanism
 Advantages
 Conclusion
 Reference

3. INTRODUCTION
 Construction industry is growing day by day even in
remote areas and desert regions.
 Even India and other countries are facing a lot of
problems in supplying drinking water to their citizens.
 Hence construction industries are under pressure in
finding out alternative curing methods of curing
concrete.
 Self curing concrete is the one which can meet the
present and future requirement of curing concrete.

4. INTRODUCTION (Ctd..)
Concrete is primarily used building
material. For curing of concrete, we require large
amount of water. Concrete is an universal
construction material and cement, water and
aggregates are its ingredients. The strength of
concrete depends upon properties of its constituents
and mix proportions and amount of hydration in the
concrete. For the complete hydration we require
good quality of water in required amount.

5. CURING OF CONCRETE
 Curing is the maintenance of a satisfactory
moisture content and temperature in concrete for a
period of time immediately following placing and
finishing so that the desired properties may develop.
 Curing has a strong influence on the properties
of hardened concrete ; proper curing will increase,
durability, strength, water tightness, abrasion
resistance, volume stability, and resistance to freezing
and thawing etc.

6. DEFINITION OF CURING
 As per ACI-308R
The term "curing" is frequently used to describe
the process by which hydraulic cement concrete
matures and develop hardened properties over time as
a result of the continued hydration of the cement in
the presence of sufficient water and heat.
 As per IS:456-2000
“ Curing is the process of preventing the loss of
moisture from the concrete.”

7. IMPORTANCE OF CURING
Curing of concrete plays a major role in developing
the strength and hardness of concrete, which leads
to its improvement in durability and performance.
Curing is a process of promoting the hydration of
the cement, and consists of a control of temperature
and of moisture movement from and into the
concrete.
Poor curing practices adversely affect the desirable
properties of performance of concrete.

8. IMPORTANCE OF CURING
 Proper curing of concrete is essential to obtain
maximum durability, especially if the concrete is
exposed to severe conditions.
 Even when good quality concrete is placed on the
job site, curing is necessary to ensure the concrete
provides good service over the life of the
structure.
 So for attaining good strength of concrete, we
need good quality of curing with portable water.

9. TYPES OF CURING
 a) Water curing
 • immersion
 • Pounding
 • Spraying
 • Wet covering
 b) Steam curing
 c) Self curing/ membrane curing
 d) miscellaneous
 like, curing by infra red radiation, electrical curing etc.

10. SELF CURING CONCRETE
 It has been pointed out earlier that curing does not
means application of water ,it means also creation of
condition for promotion of Uninterrupted and
Progressive hydration.
 It is also pointed out that the quantity of water,
normally mixed for making concrete is sufficient to
hydrate the cement content.
 Concrete in which the mixing water is restricted by
means of some chemical compounds, to go out from
the concrete body is known as “self curing concrete.”

11. NEED OF SELF CURING
 Some times works are carried out in place where there is
acute shortage of water and the application of water curing
is not possible for reasons of economy.

12. NEED OF SELF CURING
 Prevention of moisture loss from the surface of flat
concrete works such as highways and airports have been
challenging task for construction managers.

13. MECHANISM
 The compound molecules is primarily hydrophobic in
nature with hydrophilic terminal group.
 Hydrophilic terminal group attaches it self to the film
of bleeding water.
 While the long Hydrophobic chain maintains a
vertical orientation away from the bleeding water.
 Water molecules do not possess sufficient energy to
escape through the hydrophobic layer which results
into quick reduction in the evaporation loss.

15. ADVANTAGES
 When properly applied, provides a premium-grade film, which
optimizes water retention.
 Protects by reflecting the sun's rays to keep the concrete
surface cooler and prevent excessive heat build-up, which can
cause thermal cracking.
 Furnished as a ready-to-use, true water-based compound.
Produces hard, dense concrete ... minimizes hair checking,
thermal cracking, dusting and other defects.
 Offers a compressive strength significantly greater than
improperly or uncured concrete.
 Improves resistance to the abrasion and corrosive actions of
salts and chemicals ... minimizes shrinkage.

16. CONCLUSION
 In short, discussed all above curing compounds are
effective tool to avoid the occurrence of plastic shrinkage
cracks in a windy, low humid and exposed to sun
condition.
 Contractor can benefit by able to expedite the work
schedule and placing more concrete while client benefits
by obtaining concrete free of plastic shrinkage crack and
having greater durability value.

17. REFERENCES
 Text book of concrete technology by M.S.shetty
 www.wikipedia.com
 www.google.com