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Integrated shrinkage, relative humidity, strength development, and cracking potential of internally cured concrete exposed to different drying conditions

ABSTRACT Internal curing (IC) technology using prewetted lightweight fine aggregates (LWFAs) as additives has been proved an effective means for mitigating both autogenous shrinkage and early-age cracking under sealed curing conditions. However, for practical structures in the field, concrete experiences more complex environmental conditions compared to under sealed curing. To better utilize internal curing technology for durable concretes, this study conducts comprehensive investigations on both control and internally cured concretes at water/cement (w/c) ratio of 0.3 and 0.4 in terms of the influence of age when concrete is exposed to drying and the drying duration on the developments of integrated shrinkage, internal relative humidity, compressive and flexural strengths, mass loss, and cracking potential. The results are beneficial for producing internally cured concrete with increased resistance to early-age cracking and enhanced durability for infrastructure applications.