LABORATORY TESTS ON THE CURING OF CONCRETE ROADS

LABORUNTERSUCHUNGEN ZUR NACHBEHANDLUNG VON BETONFAHRBAHNEN

ACCORDING TO THE GENERAL TECHNICAL CONDITIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONCRETE ROADS, THESE ROADS HAVE TO BE PROTECTED FROM DRYING OUT FOR A PERIOD OF THREE WEEKS BY MEANS OF CURING, AND GENERALLY MUST NOT BE USED BY TRAFFIC UNTIL 21 DAYS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF CONCRETING. IN VIEW OF THIS LONG WAITING PERIOD BEFORE THE ROAD IS OPENED TO TRAFFIC, AND NATURALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE COSTS OF THE CURING ITSELF, THE QUESTION ARISES AS TO WHETHER THE CURING MEASURES COULD NOT BE SIMPLIFIED OR REDUCED IN LENGTH. AS PART OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT THEREFORE, TESTS ARE TO BE CARRIED OUT TO DETERMINE WHETHER IN FACT AFTER A FEW DAYS' HARDENING THE CONCRETE PAVEMENT HAS SUFFICIENT STRENGTH TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND NORMAL TRAFFIC STRESSES. EARLIER TRAFFICKING WOULD HOWEVER MAKE THE CONTINUATION OF CONVENTIONAL CURING METHODS IMPOSSIBLE. THEREFORE AN ATTEMPT IS TO BE MADE TO DEVELOP NOVEL, PRACTICABLE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE METHODS OF CURING WHICH CAN PREVENT A TOO RAPID LOSS OF MOISTURE FROM THE CONCRETE EVEN AFTER THE ROAD HAS BEEN OPENED TO TRAFFIC.