How much time is needed for complete curing of the concrete

From the moment of pouring of concrete and until it is ready it will take some time. The amount of time required for this depends on the grade of concrete and nature of the work.

Time strength

For filling the floor there will be no strength if do not water the concrete with water almost the whole period of solidification. The concrete ceases to gain strength, if dry and crack, so you need technology to close the screed concrete floor with polyethylene and an additional and watered if the weather is very hot.

Frozen in winter, the concrete strength also can not type, no matter how much time has passed. Therefore, in the winter work with concrete outdoors is not recommended. If after freezing the concrete to thaw or heat, the curing will occur, but the strength is lower than the original.

The process of curing concrete is nonlinear, and therefore, in the first week is the most intense. Further, the concrete is gaining strength not so fast.

At a temperature of 20°C and normal humidity of the concrete must harden for 20 days. At the same time in the same normal conditions over the first three days, the concrete is gaining no more than 30% of the total strength. For a set of 60-80% of grade strength is required 7-14 days with the same normal conditions. And only after 20-28 days may complete solidification to 100% compliance with the grade strength. After 90 days, if the conditions all this time had remained normal, the concrete attains 120% of the strength of the originally claimed.

The effect on the setting time of concrete

Despite the fact that the time of hardening of cement does not have a General answer for all works in which it is used, there are methods to speed up and slow down its freezing.

When large volumes of work hardening of concrete for the month can not happen, and so expect no special solutions had to be more than 3 months.

The formwork after casting the concrete must be removed within 12-24 hours. Otherwise, its removal may become problematic.

How much time will have to wait until complete curing depends on the nature of further work. Construction of a wooden fence may start after 3-4 days after installation and concreting of supports, and to erect a building on a Foundation in such a short time is not worth it.

Loading the Foundation of different designs should be not earlier than the 28th day after pouring, and only if the concrete has no cracks.