EFFECT OF ATMOSPHERIC STEAM CURING PARAMETERS ON CONCRETE STRENGTH AND DURABILITY
Keywords:
steam curing cycle, delaying time, curing time, curing temperatures, Taguchi Method, chloride permeability, sulphate attackAbstract
Concrete steam curing under atmospheric pressure provides moisture and increases the temperature up to 100oC for
accelerating the curing process. This research identifies and optimizes steam curing parameters for producing precast
electrical poles in a Sudanese industrial entity. These parameters include a delay period after casting (DT) of 0, 2, 3, 4
& 6 hours, a maximum curing temperatures (T) of 50, 60 &70oC maintained for a specific curing period (CT) of 2, 3,
4 and 5 hrs. To attain this aim, several laboratory experiments have been carried out to measure compressive strengths
after 7 days of the above curing regimes that are compared to values of specimens subjected to conventional water
curing method. Then Taguchi methodology has been utilized to identify DT=3hrs, CT= 4hrs and T= 70oC as the
optimum curing regime and DT as the most effective parameter. Furthermore, specimens cured under this optimum
cycle have further tested for flexural strength and durability performance (sulphate and chloride ingress for periods up
to 12 months) and compared with water-cured ones. The results show that the steam-curing provides better performance
at 3 days for flexural strength and similar or superior long-term durability of concrete compared for water-curing
