Effect of field and laboratory curing on the durability characteristics of plain and pozzolan concretes

The environmental conditions in the Arabian Gulf countries are classified as aggressive and severely corrosive. Field and laboratory studies have shown that concrete in this region should be designed not only for strength but also for durability. Utmost emphasis should be given to produce dense and impermeable concrete, to extend the service life of structures. In this study, concrete samples were prepared using various types of cements and fly ashes at various mix designs. The samples were cured in the field and in laboratory conditions. The permeability was determined by volume of permeable voids and absorption tests. The results showed that continuous water curing is necessary to obtain the least permeable concrete for both plain and pozzolan concretes. Irrespective of curing procedure followed, the fly ash concrete exhibited lower permeability than plain concrete for an initial test period of 7 days during curing. The fly ash concrete samples cured in the laboratory exhibited lower initial surface absorption than control concretes after 90 days of curing for all fly ash additions (10-40%) and cement factors (275-450 kg/m³) used.