Impact of Curing on Structural Performance of Reinforced Concrete members: A Comprehensive Review
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Curing is a fundamental process that significantly influences the mechanical performance and durability of reinforced concrete structures. This comprehensive review examines the effects of various curing methods, environmental conditions, and curing durations on the structural behavior of concrete, with a particular focus on the hydration process and its impact on strength development, durability, and crack resistance. Traditional wet curing techniques such as ponding and sprinkling generally provide superior moisture retention and strength gains, while alternative methods like membrane curing and chemical compounds offer viable solutions in water-scarce or extreme climates. The review also highlights the critical role of curing in enhancing the performance of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams, where proper curing ensures effective fiber-matrix bonding essential for improved shear strength and ductility. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity markedly affect curing efficacy, underscoring the need for tailored practices under varying climatic conditions. Despite challenges related to resource use and environmental dependency, optimized curing remains indispensable for achieving desired concrete properties and ensuring long-term structural integrity. The paper identifies research gaps in curing under irregular and hot environmental conditions and calls for further investigation into sustainable and efficient curing technologies suitable for modern construction demands.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Licensed under a CC-BY license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
How to Cite
References
I. Khan, Y. Abbas, and G. Fares, “Curing–dependent structural behavior of ultra-high-performance hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete beams,” Structures, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.istruc.2023.05.146.
H. Kang and J. Moon, “Secondary curing effect on the hydration of ultra-high performance concrete,” Constr. Build. Mater., vol. 298, p. 123874, 2021, doi: 10.1016/J.CONBUILDMAT.2021.123874.
A. Wedatalla, Y. Jia, and A. Ahmed, “Curing Effects on High-Strength Concrete Properties,” Adv. Civ. Eng., 2019, doi: 10.1155/2019/1683292.
I. Jaber and W. Waryosh, “EFFECT OF HYBRID CURING ON CONCRETE PROPERTIES,” Int. J. Appl. Sci. Eng. Rev., 2024, doi: 10.52267/ijaser.2024.5404.
W. A.Waryosh and I. Jaber, “Effect of internal curing on concrete properties,” Proc. 3rd Int. Conf. Eng. Innov. Technol., 2025, doi: 10.31972/iceit2024.062.
D. Al Saffar, A. J. K. Al Saad, and B. Tayeh, “Effect of internal curing on behavior of high performance concrete: An overview,” Case Stud. Constr. Mater., 2019, doi: 10.1016/J.CSCM.2019.E00229.
ACI Committee 308, “Guide to external curing of concrete,” Am. Concr. Inst., p. 36, 2016.
G. W. F. Hegel, “[Concrete Mind],” The Phenomenology of Mind. pp. 266–473, 2021, doi: 10.4324/9781315830308-10.
C. Workability, “Properties of Concrete - Workability , Setting , Bleeding , Segregation , Hydration , Air entra ... Page 1 of 4 Properties of Concrete - Workability , Setting , Bleeding , Segregation , Hydration , Air entra ... Page 2 of 4,” pp. 2–5, 2015.
E. P. K. and D. W. Fowler, “Summary of concrete workability test methods,” Int. Cent. Aggreg. Res., p. 93, 2003, [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118180%0Ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2014.02.004%0Ahttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2021.e00571.
ACI CT-20, “ACI Concrete Terminology,” 2013. [Online]. Available: www.concrete.org.
D. P. Dnyanoba and R. H. Madhukar, “Concrete Curing Methods,” ACI J. Proc., vol. 41, no. 2, pp. 142–144, 1945, doi: 10.14359/8688.
N. Usman and M. Nura Isa, “Curing Methods and Their Effects on The Strength of Concrete,” J. Eng. Res. Appl. www.ijera.com, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 107–110, 2015, [Online]. Available: www.ijera.com.
P. C. Taylor, “Curing Concrete,” Curing Concr., pp. 1–184, Sep. 2013, doi: 10.1201/b15519.
2010. ACI Committee 363, Report on High-Strength Concrete, ACI 363R-10, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI, “No Title.”
“Concrete Curing Guide.”
S. Al-Fadala, D. Dashti, H. Al-Baghli, J. Chakkamalayath, and Z. Awadh, “Sustainable Internal Curing Materials’ Effect on Concrete Performance,” ACI Mater. J., vol. 121, no. 6, pp. 55–66, 2024, doi: 10.14359/51742261.
Y. Pawar and S. Kate, “Curing of Concrete : A Review,” Int. Res. J. Eng. Technol., vol. 7, no. 8, pp. 1820–1824, 2020.
B. P. Gupta, “A REVIEW ON SELF-CURING CONCRETE,” pp. 4685–4687, 2020.
C. T. Specimens and T. D. Cores, “iTeh Standards Document Preview iTeh Standards Document Preview,” vol. i, pp. 4–6, 2017, doi: 10.1520/C0309-11.2.
Y. Wang, R. Xiao, H. Lu, W. Hu, X. Jiang, and B. Huang, “Effect of curing conditions on the strength and durability of air entrained concrete with and without fly ash,” Clean. Mater., vol. 7, p. 100170, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.clema.2023.100170.
O. Mohamed and O. Najm, “Effect of Curing Methods on Compressive Strength of Sustainable Self-Consolidated Concrete,” IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng., vol. 471, no. 3, pp. 55–64, 2019, doi: 10.1088/1757-899X/471/3/032059.
2023. Ready Mixed Concrete Manufacturers’ Association (RMCMA), Curing of Concrete (Bulletin No. 9), A. K. Jain, Ed., Mumbai, India: RMCMA, Sep. 25, “No Title.”
M. Lokeshwari, B. R. Pavan Bandakli, S. R. Tarun, P. Sachin, and V. Kumar, “A review on self-curing concrete,” Mater. Today Proc., vol. 43, pp. 2259–2264, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.12.859.
M. A. I. et al., “A Review on the Curing of Concrete using Different Methods,” Int. J. Mech. Civ. Eng., vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 15–25, 2024, doi: 10.52589/ijmce-4envmzox.
P. Renaud, Properties of concrete-5th edition. Trans-Atlantic Publications, Inc., 2008.
P. K. Mehta and P. J. M. Monteiro, Theoretical concepts of stress wave propagation in solids. 2001.
T. G. Atsbha and S. Zhutovsky, “The effect of external curing methods on the development of mechanical and durability-related properties of normal-strength concrete,” Constr. Build. Mater., 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.126706.
M. A. et al., “A Review on the Curing of Concrete using Different Methods,” Int. J. Mech. Civ. Eng., 2024, doi: 10.52589/ijmce-4envmzox.
American Concrete Institute and American Concrete Institute, “Guide to cold weather concreting,” p. 23.
Y. Wang, R. Xiao, H. Lu, W. Hu, X. Jiang, and B. Huang, “Effect of curing conditions on the strength and durability of air entrained concrete with and without fly ash,” Clean. Mater., vol. 7, p. 100170, 2023, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clema.2023.100170.
A. Anwar, H. Tariq, S. Adil, and M. Iftikhar, “Effect of curing techniques on compressive strength of concrete,” World J. Adv. Res. Rev., vol. 16, pp. 694–710, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.30574/wjarr.2022.16.3.1379.
Y. Nahata, N. Kholia, and T. G. Tank, “Effect of Curing Methods on Efficiency of Curing of Cement Mortar,” APCBEE Procedia, vol. 9, no. Icbee 2013, pp. 222–229, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.apcbee.2014.01.040.
N. J. Pamnani, A. Verma, and D. Bhatt, “Comparison Of Compressive Strength Of Medium Strength Self Compacted Concrete By Different Curing Techniques,” Int. J. Eng. Trends Technol., vol. 4, no. May, pp. 1451–1457, 2013, [Online]. Available: http://www.ijettjournal.org.
G. Guo, S. Zhao, D. Wen, G. Zhang, and L. Liu, “Experimental study on the influence of different curing methods on the performance of concrete,” J. Meas. Eng., vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 25–34, 2025, doi: 10.21595/jme.2024.24184.
A. . Akinsanya, O. . Olowu, and D. O. Olanrewaju, “Effect of high curing temperature on mechanical properties of concrete,” Pressacademia, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 19–23, 2017, doi: 10.17261/pressacademia.2017.565.
T.-F. Yuan, D.-Y. Yoo, J.-M. Yang, and Y.-S. Yoon, “Shear Capacity Contribution of Steel Fiber Reinforced High-Strength Concrete Compared with and without Stirrup,” Int. J. Concr. Struct. Mater., vol. 14, no. 1, p. 21, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1186/s40069-020-0396-2.
I. Papayianni and T. Valliasis, “Heat deformations of fly ash concrete,” Cem. Concr. Compos., vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 249–254, 2005, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2004.02.014.
R. N. and I. Y. S. Darwish, “Use of Steel Fibers as Shear Reinforcement,” ACI Struct. J., vol. 84, no. 3, doi: 10.14359/2654.
“ACI Committee 544, Guide to design with fiber-reinforced concrete ACI 544.4R- 18. American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills.,” 2018.