Curing is the major concern after the concrete is poured. It is this step that allows concrete to obtain its much sought-after performance in the world of construction and particularly in the precast industry. It is about strength and durability.
Without proper curing, the target strength of concrete will never be reached. Climatic conditions also influence the setting and hardening of concrete. Indeed, the setting and hardening of concrete are faster with higher temperatures.
A lack of rigor on the curing conditions leads to a dispersion of the resistances at young age which can cause breakage during the various operations related to handling. To reduce this breakage during palletization, it is then necessary to improve the average strength, i.e. to increase the cement dosage and/or to add additives, which implies additional costs.

These additional costs can be avoided by a proper control of the curing conditions.
The products most concerned by this issue are breeze blocks and pavers as they are the most sensitive to desiccation.
In this sense, in 2018/2019, CETEMCO has carried out a development project named: “Curing of concrete products”. This project is part of the general interest activities of the Center and has received a funding support from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, Investment and Digital Economy through the Support Fund for Technical Centers “FACET”.

The project “Hardening of concrete products” consists in promoting the good practices for hardening concrete products in the Moroccan climate. It aims at reinforcing the competitiveness of the concrete industry by studying the hardening of concrete products in the different national climatic conditions.

The project was carried out through the following main actions:

– Framing of the project and state of the art on the optimal conditions of hardening of the concrete products

– Diagnostic campaign of the hardening conditions in three companies located in three different regions

– Elaboration of specifications on the right curing conditions adapted to each participating company

– Promotion of good practices for curing concrete products

– APC (French Acronym): Professional Association of Cement Manufacturers
– AMIB (French Acronym):: Moroccan Association of the Concrete Industry

– Study of the current hardening conditions of concrete products in three Moroccan cities (Kenitra, Marrakech and Agadir) through a diagnostic campaign conducted for a selected companies of the precast concrete sector
– Study of the influence of these conditions by comparing hardened products in the current state with hardened products in optimal conditions from practical cases
– Proposal of solutions in the light of the case studies’ results