Concrete is regarded as the best construction material by the experts. It can be prepared easily on-site, poured easily to take any shape, and it is like a rock once it dries up. However, compressive strength and durability apart, it remains a matter of discussion among users that how long does concrete take to dry up completely.
If you have asked a mason pouring concrete pre-mix during a renovation or repair of a structure, his reply is that the concrete sets after a few hours. For more information about cement drying and other concrete and masonry needs, call Irvine Concrete Pros at (949) 541-6363.
Cement Drying Duration
How would you react if told that curing of concrete is an infinite process that never gets completed? If you go by science and its principles, concrete is hardening all the time, and it becomes harder with each passing day. It never reaches a stage when it can be said with certainty that its curing process is complete.
This hardening of concrete is a result of cement particles present in the concrete pre mix reacting and bonding with water molecules. Your concrete contractor will tell you that the concrete structure he is making will become fully hard and ready for use after 24 to 48 hours.
This range of 1 to 2 days is taken as concrete dry times all over the world. But the fact of the matter is that concrete always contains minuscule moisture bubbles. So the concrete drying time is not over, and it continues to harden when cement particles bond with these tiny bubbles.
For practical purposes, the concrete structure is deemed to have become hard after 24 to 48 hours and fit for the use of human beings. This means you can walk on the sidewalk. And so can your pets before leaving any footprints if the concrete has been allowed to set for at least 24 to 48 hours. You can also drive your car on the newly made concrete driveway without leaving any tire marks if the driveway has been allowed to harden for 1 to 2 days. Your concrete structure keeps hardening even after this and attains nearly 70 percent of its ultimate strength in 7 days. For all practical purposes, you can consider your concrete structure to have hardened fully after 28 days.
Factors Affecting Cement Drying Time
Curing of concrete is an automatic and natural process that starts as soon as concrete pre mix is left to dry after pouring in. However, different conditions have a role to play in this curing process, and it gets completed a little early or a little late, depending upon these factors.
Moisture
Curing process is a result of cement particles bonding with water molecules in the concrete mix. Cement particles make bonds with these molecules to continue the setting process. Curing will get completed quicker if there is less quantity of moisture in the concrete mix. However, this also means the concrete does not achieve its full strength as cement has fewer bonds to make.
Temperature
Weather conditions also play a role in the curing process. If the temperature is high, the concrete mix’s moisture will evaporate quickly, and the curing process will come to an end quickly. On the other hand, the lower temperature allows curing to continue with the presence of moisture in the concrete mix.
Presence of Accelerant
At times, an accelerant is added to allow the structure to become strong and able to be used quickly. It speeds up the concrete curing process though it does not achieve maximum possible strength.
Curing of Cement
Hardening of concrete is a process that is referred to as curing. For how long concrete cures are not known to even scientists. The presence of tiny moisture bubbles in the concrete mix allows cement particles to make bonds to increase the hardness of the structure continuously.
Cement drying time is, therefore, not a fixed quantity. Concrete becomes sufficiently hard after 2 days to be used for all practical purposes. It is also said to have hardened to 70 percent of its full potential after 28 days. But its curing doesn’t stop because of the continuous reaction of cement particles with moisture bubbles.
If you want to know more about the curing of cement or concrete, call Irvine Concrete Pros at (949) 541-6363. The concrete structure becomes so hard that its further hardening becomes unnoticeable. Bonding of cement particles becomes very slow after the concrete is believed to have attained its full strength. But it never really stops as long as there are traces of moisture in the concrete mix.
How long does cement take to cure is a function of this reaction between cement particles and the moisture bubbles present and left inside the concrete mix?
