2 questions really
Sometimes it has to be kept wet, other times not. Does the atmospheric temperature & humidity affect how long it takes to cure, and how strong it will be?
I remember needing to wet down a new patio regularly as it set up, but this isn’t done with streets, sidewalks, or poured buildings.
In: Chemistry
You can either keep the surface wet through misting it, flooding it or spraying it down regularly.
You can also stop water in the concrete from evaporating. This can be achieved by putting a burlap covering over it and wetting it, covering it with plastic sheets or spraying it with an impermeable membrane that wears off later on. Things like columns and walls are cured because they’re enclosed in formwork that stops evaporation.
Almost all concrete is cured in some way like this, even sidewalks – if you don’t it’ll experience shrinkage and drying cracks, well… more severe shrinkage and drying cracks than usual.
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