Use of Internal Curing Materials to Improve Performance of Concrete Infrastructure

016852582018Final Report Period: 7/1/2016-7/31/18PDFTech ReportRECAST UTC #0055456USDOT: DTRT13-G-UTC45Concrete bridgesConcrete curingConcrete pavementsHigh performance concreteMix designSandInternal curingLightweight sandSaturated sandBridges and other structuresHighwaysMaterialsPavementsMissouriUnited StatesMissouri University of Science and TechnologyKhayat, Kamal H.Meng, WeinaValipour, MahdiHopkins, MatthewResearch on Concrete Applications for Sustainable Transportation (RE-CAST)Missouri University of Science and TechnologyUniversity Transportation Centers Program (U.S.)United States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and TechnologyUS Transportation CollectionThe project presented in this report seeks to develop a proper methodology to use saturated lightweight sand (LWS) to improve the performance and prolong the service life of concrete mixtures. High-performance concrete (HPC) approved by MoDOT was used for the baseline mixture and was modified with different types and contents of saturated LWS used for internal curing. This was done to evaluate the optimum dosage of LWSs and maximize their effectiveness on enhancing performance. The performance improvement from the LWS mainly focused on reducing shrinkage and resulting cracking potential without sacrificing durability and cost competence of the HPC. The project established new mixture design and curing recommendations for concrete made with LWS and validated their performance through laboratory investigation. The results obtained in this work are expected to provide a basis for: (1) New mixture design methodology and guidelines for using LWS for bridge and pavement applications; and (2) Validation of performance improvement when using internal curing and cost competitiveness in the State of Missouri