Curing is one of those activities that every civil engineer and construction worker has heard of, but in reality does not worry about much. In practice, curing is often low on the list of priorities on the construction site, particularly when budgets and timelines are under pressure. Yet the increasing demands being placed on concrete mixtures also mean that they are less forgiving than in the past. Therefore, any activity that will help improve hydration and so performance, while reducing the risk of cracking, is becoming more important. Curing Concrete explains exactly why curing is so important and shows you how to best do it.

The book covers:

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• The fundamentals behind hydration
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• How curing affects the properties of concrete, improving its long-term performance
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• What curing technologies and techniques you can use for different applications
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• How to effectively specify, provide, and measure curing in a project

The author also gives numerous examples of how curing-or a lack of it-has affected concrete performance in real-world situations. These include examples from hot and cold climates, as well as examples related to high-performance concrete, performance parameters, and specifications and testing. Written for construction professionals who want to ensure the quality and longevity of their concrete structures, this book demonstrates that curing is well worth the effort and cost.

About the Author
Peter C. Taylor was born and educated in Southern Africa, and gained a B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town. He spent ten years with consultants in Chicago involved in a wide range of consulting and research projects investigating the effects of raw materials on concrete performance, both in the laboratory and in the field, and since 2007 has been employed at the National Concrete Pavement Technology Center at Iowa State University. He also travels throughout the United States teaching practitioners about the latest technologies available to improve pavement reliability and sustainability. Dr. Taylor is the author of more than 50 publications and is an active member of Transportation Research Board (TRB), ASTM International, and American Concrete Institute (ACI) committees.

Reviews

"This book explains exactly why curing is so important and shows you how best to do it... There are numerous examples of how curing (or a lack of it) has affected concrete performance in real-world situations. These include examples from hot and cold climates, as well as those related to high-performance concretes. This book is aimed at construction professionals who want to ensure the quality and durability of their concrete structures and demonstrates that curing is well worth the extra effort and cost."
-Concrete, October 2014

"I like the tone and level of the book. While it deals with a critical technical issue, it does so in a manner that makes it immediately attractive and intelligible to the 'real' people who have to worry about curing. This will be a great book for site personnel and mid-level managers, as well as students and other practitioners of concrete, to use in order to inform themselves about curing and to help in doing it properly. The book is clear and concise without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. While some background in cement and concrete is probably needed, the book manages to deal with fairly complex issues in a readily understandable way..."
--Prof. M.G. Alexander, University of Cape Town, South Africa

"This book is a practical yet comprehensive guide for anyone who is involved in concrete construction. It first describes the role curing plays in the hydration process, what properties are influenced by curing, guidance in the application and use of curing, how to measure and specify, and finally real-world guidance drawn from the experiences of others. ... Overall, this is an excellent publication that presents fundamental concepts of concrete curing with a practical application of real-world expertise drawn from well-respected practitioners. Why we cure, how to specify it, and what the benefits will be are well presented."
--Jim Grove, P.E., Global Consulting Inc., Ames, Iowa, USA

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Book Information
ISBN 9780367865566
Author Peter C. Taylor
Format Paperback
Page Count 215
Imprint CRC Press
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g