Influence of chemical and mineral admixtures and curing regimes on the engineering characteristics of HSC subjected to hot-dry field conditions

The short and long time effects of different curing regimes and inclusion of chemical and mineral admixtures on the strength and drying shrinkage of high strength concrete (HSC) exposed to hot-dry field conditions were examined. A total of 70 compressive strength specimens and 34 drying shrinkage specimens were considered in the study. The main variables in the study include curing regimes and period, concrete mixes and curing environment. The results indicate that under hot dry field conditions, inclusion of silica fume (SF) and superplasticizer in the concrete mix greatly improve the 28-day and 90-day compressive strength of the concrete and particularly when the concrete casting is followed by curing with intermittent spraying of water. The results also reveal that the rate and the 5-year maximum recorded drying shrinkage strains of the HSC subjected to hot-dry field conditions are lower for specimens cured with intermittent spraying of water with or without burlap covering. Furthermore, the test results show that inclusion of superplasticizer and silica fume reduce the drying shrinkage of the HSC