Intro to curing concrete

Curing is the last step in concrete construction and it is often overlooked. This video explains why curing is important and explains how good curing and poor curing will impact your concrete. Next, some examples of typical curing methods are presented.

Thanks to Hailey Goodale! She edited this video and is my Director of Awesome.

[DarkSmugLoser]

This guy does great videos. Perfect balance of visuals, science, and examples.

[brianford]

You can't help but get excited about something when someone else is showing so much pashion for it. I've started entire new hobbies b/c of this reason! Loved the video.

[elliothickle]

I love the excitement for concrete lol, great energy!

[cricket]

I appreciate your expertise and enthusiasm. I'm still learning. Thanks!

[NOBOX]

The moment i realized concrete getting hard is nota drying process but a curing crystal growth it was a game changer, i stopped getting cracks in my castings as slabs .

[Adrian_Nel]

Dude I'm just going to comment here - because I can't find the actual video which I watched when I first thunk the following thoughts:
1) I saw some really juvenile, nasty comments on a video, I hope that you're going to flat out ignore them, they were not constructive in any way.
2) I did see one or two comments that were obviously intended as constructive, and it seems that you've taken the advice (about background) to heart - over course of the limited number of your videos that I've watched, I've seen a marked improvement in quality.
3) In about a year from now, I am going to build a concrete deck. Before I start, I shall watch some of your videos. Besides your obvious knowledge on the subject, your enthusiasm is more than a little inspiring. Thank you for doing this. I hope that you keep on making these videos, and that you enjoy doing so. Fare ye well.

[zlinky]

Tyler, I have a challenge for you Re: concrete finishing.


There seems to be some very mixed opinions on the internet about this, maybe as a concrete genius, you can provide some clarity.


As a builder, when I put down a slab, I screed it, then use wood or magnesium floats to smooth it, and finally finish it off with blue steel floats/trowels, then broom finish it for grip. I know that wood leaves the surface open to allow the water to rise to the surface, but what about the magnesium? - Opinions across the web appear to be very passionate and divided on this, some say that mag floats seal the surface, others say that they do not. Some say it is all down to the angle that the mag float is used at.


Also, some say that steel in certain forms makes the concrete react on touch and set. Is this accurate?


Since you are such a concrete lover, how about a video on how different materials such as steel, stainless steel, blue steel, magnesium, aluminium, hardwoods each individually react scientifically with concrete, both chemically and physically (i.e. sealing the surface or not)?


Kind regards, Lee

[Sebastian-Nakad]

Thank you for sharing us this video! I have learned a lot of information about concrete. you provide us a great idea of explainer concrete. I am still studying the diploma of civil engineering and I actually understand what you explain for us. Thanks so much!

[michaelyang]

Thank you very much for such a detailed and patient explanation

[maxsheridan]

Great just what I needed. Poured my first slab :)

[carlacourtois]

Brilliant and so easy to understand I myself LOVE CONCRETE

[jamescole]

I thought I would add this since it helped me a lot. Information from the web and info I added to it.

Curing temperatures
Generally, at temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius 41 f, it takes seven days (one week) for concrete to reach 65% to 70% of its strength.
14 days = 90%
28 days = 99%

[sprinvntrdd]

Very helpful and practical information. GBY

[cerapcic]

If concrete was dried prematurely on strong sun right after pouring, is it possible to cure it completely few days after by soaking it with water?

[chrisspanyer]

Your videos are great!!! I’m hoping you can answer some questions about concrete curing that weren’t gone over on video. First when do you start wet curing new slab? When it gets hard? When concrete starts turning white like it’s drying out? Just before that?
Also what’s except able when wet curing. Do you keep a sprinkler on it 24/7 for best cure short of ponding? Or is just spraying down 5-10 times a day ok as the center of concrete is the concern? Or are we just as concerned about the surface usable area not drying out white between wetting? I have heard that 3 days of ponding is equal to 7 days of wet curing. Is this true. Any chance you could do a follow up video to this explaining best practice and why and maybe tests on different methods people in field are Lilly using or site study’s. Hope I’m not asking to much but I’m very interested in doing final curing right as the cost is low and reward is high.thanks for help here.
10/4/2023 please advise
Just finished a driveway yesterday evening any help on best curing practice would be great thanks again.

[lshepherd]

3 curing stages in concrete post pouring.
Initial, Intermediate, and Final Curing. These three stages are very important one to another.
but most of us know only the Final Curing

[MBoyer-ngok]

Internal curing (a new one) with porous wet rock: this may be the modern equivalent of the age old masonry technique of submerging the bricks or other materials in water before application. Bricks are a porous, masonry sponges of sorts. I soak all and any brick or rocks that I mortar... So I may be on to something.

[NOBOX]

Should you bother submersion curing refractory concrete ? Is there still an advantage to strength with the different chemistry ? We still need ions and anions to travel for crystal growth correct ?

[aochider]

Hey Tyler, I just subscribed and watched quite a few videos of yours. What would be interesting to me is if a video like this mentioned some example details, like how long it takes for concrete to cure and if there are reasonable upper and lower bounds and their effects. For example, if you used wet curing and left the plastic over the concrete for 1 year, would that result in stronger concrete (even though it is impractical)? I have never heard someone answer questions like that with regards to concrete; often when people explain something new, it is hard to apply that knowledge without knowing the limits or implications of it, which is something an expert like you would know that I would otherwise never get the chance to learn.

Also, as a general note, I'd be interested to see videos dedicated to specific techniques or patterns used in building with concrete.

For a residential example, what are pros/cons (and explanations) for ICFs? What about all of this waterproofing that happens in residential home foundations? How did we used to make poured concrete foundations and how does it compare to modern stuff (like the waterproofing) we do today? What about seismic considerations?

For a commercial example, I recently watched something about the Scorpion Tower in Miami and it talked about how deep they had to make the concrete support pillars, but it didn't go into any details about how they determined the depth, what the forms were like, or even what the concrete was like for such a unique project. Similarly, the new Bay bridge in San Francisco used epoxy-coated rebar, but the videos I have seen on it do no go into greater detail as to what other considerations they may have made (especially after watching your video on epoxy-coated rebar!).

Thank you for your videos!

[afs]

Appreciate the analogies. Easier to understand