Influence of Curing Conditions on Water Loss and Hydration in Cement Pastes with and without Fly Ash Substitution

摘要

This report summarizes an exploratory study on the influence of curing conditions on water loss and hydration in ASTM Type 1 and blended Portland cement pastes with a water-cementitious materials ratio (w/cm) of 0.40. The blended cement contains about 20% by mass fly ash substitution for cement. Water loss/gain under various curing conditions is monitored both globally by bulk mass (loss) measurements and locally using the NIST X-ray absorption apparatus. Hydration is assessed based on the measurement on non-evaporable water content after 31 d of curing. Curing conditions include no curing (exposed to the environment throughout the curing period), sealed curing, and saturated curing for 1 d, 3 d, and 6 d.