Good curing, enabling prolonged hydration and the development of a well-developed 10 microstructure, is imperative if concrete is to perform at its full potential. This may 11 become more important with the increasing use of composite cements containing 12 more slowly reacting additions. Furthermore, the effects of improper curing, i.e. 13 compromised durability, may not become visible for many years. 14 A series of concrete mixes have been prepared of 20 or 50 MPa target mean 15 strength, using either CEM I or CEM I + 30% fly ash as the binder. Mixes were 16 designed with two different workabilities, (10-30 and 60-180 mm slump) Samples 17 were cured in a fog room at 20 ± 3 0 C and 99 ± 1% RH or under ambient conditions 18 20 ± 3 0 C and 42 % RH. Performance was evaluated in terms of compressive 19 strength, transport properties and resistance to carbonation. Equivalent paste 20 samples were characterised by TGA, XRD and SEM to follow hydration and 21 microstructural development. 22 Improper curing did not greatly affect compressive strength. However, the effects on 23 transport properties, and therefore properties that may affect durability, were more 24 profound. The effects of non-ideal curing were greater for lower strength mixes, 25 those containing fly ash and, to a less extent, less workable mixes. 26
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