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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Concrete and Steel

Curing

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

/ˈkjʊrɪŋ/nounCore term

In civil engineering & construction, curing means: Keeping newly placed concrete moist and at a suitable temperature for several days so that the cement keeps reacting and the concrete reaches its full strength.

In Turkish: kür, beton kürü

How it is used

Specifications state the curing method and period, such as seven days of wet curing. Common methods are covering the concrete with wet hessian or plastic sheets, spraying it with water and applying a curing compound.

Example sentences

  1. Curing is especially important this week because it's hot and windy.

  2. Spray the curing compound as soon as the slab has been finished.

Common collocations

  • curing period
  • wet curing
  • curing compound
  • curing time
  • steam curing
  • concreteA building material made by mixing cement, water, sand and gravel. It is placed while wet and hardens into a strong, stone-like mass.
  • pourTo place fresh concrete into formwork or an excavation from a truck, pump or skip. As a noun, a pour is one continuous concreting operation.
  • compressive strengthHow much crushing pressure a material, especially concrete, can take before it fails. For concrete it is measured in megapascals (MPa) on cubes or cylinders, usually at 28 days.
  • formworkA temporary mould, usually made of timber, plywood or steel, that holds fresh concrete in the required shape until it is strong enough to support itself.

More terms: Concrete and Steel

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