EFFECT OF INITIAL CURING ON EARLY STRENGTH AND PHYSICAL-PROPERTIES OFA LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE

A 50 MPa 28-day cube compressive strength structural Lightweight concr ete of a fresh concrete density of 1800 kg/m(3) was produced using Lyt ag coarse and fine aggregate. The long-term strength development and t he durability characteristics of this lightweight concrete are being m onitored in both the severe hot and dry and hot-coastal and salt-laden exposure conditions prevalent in Kuwait. The early results of the inv estigation suggest that the compressive strength of this concrete is l ess sensitive to lack of initial curing. However, depth of water penet ration, which is indicative of the concrete's permeability and hence d urability, has been found to be more sensitive to the duration of init ial curing even for the specimens exposed to the high-humidity seaside ambient conditions. The drying shrinkage of this concrete has been fo und to be more than 600 microstrain in the first 3 months' duration. L onger term durability data will be reported in due course. (C) 1998 El sevier Science Ltd.