Effect of hot water curing on the mechanical properties and durability of cement mortars incorporating silica fume

It is known that curing temperature plays an important role on the fresh and hardened properties of cement-based materials. The increase in curing temperature at early period results in an accelerated hydration reaction that increases the rate of strength development of cement-based materials. However, the application of very high temperatures during curing negatively affects the strength and durability of the cement-based materials generally due to the expansion that takes place in the matrix. The main purpose of the study is to examine the effects of early period of hot water curing on the mechanical properties and durability of cement mortars incorporating silica fume. Particle size distribution, chemical composition and SEM analyses were performed for material characterization. Preliminary results suggest that the most favourable curing environment at early period for cement mortars incorporating silica fume is to cure under water at 50 degrees C and are in a good agreement with SEM. The results indicate that curing cement mortars incorporating silica fume under hot water in the early times plays an important role in the development of mechanical properties and durability. The results reported in this article provide a significant contribution for the determination of suitable curing conditions of cement-based materials incorporating pozzolans.