Effect of casting and curing water temperature on concrete properties

This book presents the investigation done on the effect of water temperatures on concrete properties. Water is an essential ingredient in concrete. The temperature of water changes according to the weather. This creates special challenges in the concrete production especially at hot climatic. Hence, there are more obstacles to overcome when using hot water to produce concrete. The effect of water temperature during casting and curing of concrete on concrete properties have been studied. Concrete samples were prepared and cured under different water temperature and the properties of concrete tested. The tests include slump, compressive strength, rebound hammer, UPV, and water absorption. From the analysis of test results, it was found that higher water temperature used during concrete mixing reduced the overall strength and other properties of concrete. Addition of hot water while mixing leads to further the defects and failure in the hardened state at 28 days, but high early strength. It is concluded that concrete should be prepared by using the water temperature in the range between 20°C to 35°C under room temperature in order to get optimum performance.