The influence of water on the performance of concrete

The powerful and pervasive influence of water on the performance of Portland cement concrete begins with the removal of water from either moist or wet raw cement feed and ends with application of curing water. Heat of hydration is normalized by mass of water. Due to its low density, water content mass in fresh concrete translates to porosity in hardened concrete, affecting both strength and durability. Water-cement ratio is here interpreted in terms of average spacing between adjacent cement particles, and workability, air, shrinkage, and service life are normalized to water content. Mixture proportioning and control of water content in the field are addressed.

Research highlights
► Water is needed for hydration but the same water occupies space that creates pores. The pores later fill with water leading to a variety of deterioration mechanisms, and concrete’s resistance to these forms of attack depends on initial water content.
► Strength, porosity, permeability, shrinkage, and workability depend on water.
► Mixture proportioning must takes into account water’s multiple impacts on concrete performance, followed by effective water control and curing.
► Finally, water is an essential element in most of the mechanisms that degrade concrete properties over time.