Effect of Admixture on the Strength of Self-Curing Concrete

Curing plays an essential role in enhancing the strength and durability of widely used construction materials such as cement concrete. It is imperative for the curing of concrete to have an adequate amount of water to increase the hydration process. In recent years, a new technique for curing concrete that is known as self-curing has been developed, where concrete is capable of curing by itself to preserve the moisture content in it during the absence of proper curing maintenance. An investigation was carried out in this study to examine the impact of self-curing techniques on the strength characteristics of concrete. Using admixtures enables the production of self-curing concrete that can achieve the required strength even in regions where water resources for conventional curing are scarce. DThere were different percentages (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) in this Self-Curing concrete by weight of Cement. Specimens were assessed to analyze the hardened characteristics (compressive strength and splitting tensile strength) of self-curing concrete following 28 days. Compressive strength tests demonstrated peak values of 30.80 MPa and 27.60 MPa for mix ratios of 1:1.5:3 and 1:2:4, respectively, at a 2% admixture level. In comparison to normal concrete, these results indicate a 46.67% and 44.81% increase in strength. Furthermore, the highest splitting tensile strengths were 13.91 MPa and 12.00 MPa for the same mix ratios and admixtures, representing improvements of 24.20% and 20.00% respectively in comparison to normal concrete. Compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of self-curing concrete were gradually increased with the use of admixtures up to 2%. The incorporation of poly carboxylate into self-curing concrete is demonstrated to significantly improve strength characteristics.