Effect of curing time on polymer concrete strength

Abstract

With the advancement of polymer technology, polymer concrete (PC) has become increasingly popular throughout the world and it has among the major construction materials due to its many advantages. The strength and durability of PCs are directly related to paste quality and curing time. The curing time is of the utmost importance to ensure desirable mechanical properties. An understanding of the strength-time relationship of PCs is crucial to understanding the effects of loading on concrete at an older age. The objective of this paper is to study the behavior of PC under different curing times with an emphasis on compressive and flexural strengths. Therefore, a total of 63 specimens were tested at seven different ages (1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, and 105 days) throughout the study. According to the results obtained from the tests, it is shown that the curing time plays a critical role in the flexural and compressive strengths of PCs. PCs gain more than 80% of their mechanical strength within three days, and the long-term strength does not change significantly after seven days. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.