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Uploaded: 2026-04-05
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Description: Manuscript CODE-P.ON. 200 The effect of steam curing on the mechanical and physical properties of concrete.

Manuscript CODE-P.ON. 200 The effect of steam curing on the mechanical and physical properties of concrete. 

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Manuscript CODE-P.ON. 200 The effect of steam curing on the mechanical and physical properties of concrete

1EVRNZA Laboratory, KasdiMerbahUniversity Ouargla, ALGERIA 2Department of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, KasdiMerbahUniversity Ouargla,  ALGERIA. 3Department of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, KasdiMerbahUniversity Ouargla,, ALGERIA. *(redj2020@gmail.com)

REZIG Djebaili*, KHELLOU Abderrezzak, CHENNOUF Sabrina2 and SADIKI IBTIHAL3

Model Development / Experimental Procedure

work aims to evaluate the impact of steam curing on the physical and mechanical properties of concrete intended for the construction of sewage manholes in aggressive environments. This is achieved by conducting a comparative study between steam-cured concrete at 80°C and concrete cured under standard conditions at 20°C. For this purpose, a series of laboratory experiments were carried out, including the measurement of compressive strength, surface hardness via rebound hammer, concrete homogeneity through ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), porosity, and capillary absorption. Preliminary results indicate that steam curing accelerates the development of concrete strength in the early stages, facilitating early demolding and reuse of forms to enhance production efficiency, while simultaneously ensuring the durability of precast concrete elements. Keywords– Concrete, steam curing, physical properties, mechanical properties, chemical properties, cement type, early-age hardening.

In light of the significant increase in project scales and the evolution of construction methods, one of the primary challenges is accelerating the pace of work to complete projects within their specified deadlines. Among the promising solutions that merit attention and study is the acceleration of concrete hardening using steam curing technology, while maintaining its mechanical and physical properties. Accordingly, this study aims to evaluate the impact of steam curing on the mechanical and physical characteristics of concrete, such as compressive and tensile strength, porosity, and capillary absorption. This is achieved by conducting a comparative analysis between steam-cured concrete at a temperature of 80°C and concrete cured using conventional methods at 20°C."

Steam Curing: 
"Steam curing provides a saturated, moist environment that prevents premature desiccation of the concrete. This ensures that the hydration reactions proceed homogeneously and completely, thereby enhancing the concrete’s microstructure. Simultaneously, the elevated temperature acts as an accelerant for the drying and hardening processes of the concrete." 
 Curing Procedure :
 "Upon completion of the concrete casting process into the molds, the specimens were immediately transferred to a custom-made steam curing chamber with dimensions of 160 x 60 x 40 cm. The specimens remained inside for a 15-minute pre-steaming period (without steam exposure) to allow for initial stabilization. Subsequently, they were subjected to steam at a constant temperature of 80°C for a duration of two hours.“

Figure 4: Effect of curying on the compressive  strength of CRS concrete.

Concrete Mix Design :
 The concrete mix design for 1 m³ was adopted from the HYDROCANAL corporation, based on the Dreux-Gorisse method, as follows:“

Compressive Strength Tests: 
"The results indicated that steam-cured concrete achieved significant resistance after only three hours, reaching 5.64 MPa. It continued to rise and outperform other samples during the early stages (days 3 to 7), recording values between 12.5 and 15 MPa. However, a regression in strength was observed on day 14, dropping to 10.68 MPa, before rising again through days 21 to 28, where results converged at 19.35 MPa. This fluctuation contradicts the expected continuous development of strength over time.“ Porosity Tests:
"The results showed a decrease in porosity for steam-cured concrete, recording 15.32% compared to 18.33% for conventional concrete. These findings indicate that the curing method has a clear and significant impact on the porosity of the concrete.“ Capillary Absorption Tests:
"We observe the development curve of the capillary absorption rate for both conventionally cured and steam-cured concrete over a time period starting from the first minute after 28 days up to 8 days. In the initial minutes, the results were comparable; however, from the tenth minute through to the eighth day, a clear variance emerged. The absorption rate rose significantly for conventionally cured concrete, reaching 17.1 kg/m², compared to 13.38 kg/m² for steam-cured concrete. This reflects the presence of higher porosity in conventional concrete, which contributes to the increased absorption values.“ Shrinkage Tests:
"The results, as illustrated by the curve, showed a gradual decline in shrinkage for normal cured concrete, decreasing from 990.82 µm/m at 7 days to 990.32 µm/m at 16 days, reaching stability by the 28th day. In contrast, steam-cured concrete recorded higher values; it started at 991.18 µm/m at 7 days, increased gradually to 991.36 µm/m at 15 days, and eventually stabilized around 991.21 µm/m by the end of the 28-day period. These findings indicate that normal cured concrete tends to achieve earlier stability with lower shrinkage rates compared to steam-cured concrete. Consequently, normal concrete demonstrates superior dimensional stability and performance in terms of shrinkage resistance."

By comparing the results obtained from experiments conducted on concrete subjected to conventional curing versus steam curing, the mechanical and physical properties of both methods were found to be comparable. Steam-cured concrete demonstrated superior compressive strength at early ages, reaching approximately 70% of its 28-day strength (estimated at 20 MPa) within the first three days. Regarding physical experiments, conventionally cured concrete showed results close to those recorded for steam-cured concrete; porosity was measured at 18.339%, capillary absorption at 17.10 kg/m², and shrinkage at 991 µm/m. Consequently, it can be concluded that steam curing is a more efficient method in terms of mechanical and physical behavior, as it effectively reduces porosity while increasing compressive strength.

the First National Conference on Civil ENGINEERING and ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INTEGRATION (CCE’AII 2026)

Figure 5: Effect of curying on the porosity  of CRS concrete

Figure 6: Evolution of the capillary absorption  rate of CRS concrete.

Porosity Tests: 
"The results showed a decrease in porosity for steam-cured concrete, recording 15.32% compared to 18.33% for conventional concrete. These findings indicate that the curing method has a clear and significant impact on the porosity of the concrete."

Capillary Absorption Tests:
"We observe the development curve of the capillary absorption rate for both conventionally cured and steam-cured concrete over a time period starting from the first minute after 28 days up to 8 days. In the initial minutes, the results were comparable; however, from the tenth minute through to the eighth day, a clear variance emerged. The absorption rate rose significantly for conventionally cured concrete, reaching 17.1 kg/m², compared to 13.38 kg/m² for steam-cured concrete. This reflects the presence of higher porosity in conventional concrete, which contributes to the increased absorption values."

Shrinkage Tests:
"The results, as illustrated by the curve, showed a gradual decline in shrinkage for normal cured concrete, decreasing from 990.82 µm/m at 7 days to 990.32 µm/m at 16 days, reaching stability by the 28th day. In contrast, steam-cured concrete recorded higher values; it started at 991.18 µm/m at 7 days, increased gradually to 991.36 µm/m at 15 days, and eventually stabilized around 991.21 µm/m by the end of the 28-day period. These findings indicate that normal cured concrete tends to achieve earlier stability with lower shrinkage rates compared to steam-cured concrete. Consequently, normal concrete demonstrates superior dimensional stability and performance in terms of shrinkage resistance."

Curing Procedure (إجراءات المعالجة): "Upon completion of the concrete casting process into the molds, the specimens were immediately transferred to a custom-made steam curing chamber with dimensions of 160 x 60 x 40 cm. The specimens remained inside for a 15-minute pre-steaming period (without steam exposure) to allow for initial stabilization. Subsequently, they were subjected to steam at a constant temperature of 80°C for a duration of two hours."

Material Properties:
"In this study, the following materials were utilized:

Figure 7:Effect of curying on the shrinkage of CRS concrete.

Figure 3: Placing the samples in the curying  chamberpolice

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Table 1: -Physical characteristics of the materials .

Sand from the Hassi Sayeh area, siliceous in nature (SiO2) Calcareous gravel from the Hassi Messaoud  Water from the tap after treatment - Cement for the GICA , type CEM I/42.5 N-LH/SR5

ES
79,01
sund
Gravier 3/8
Gravillon 8/15
Ciment type GICA
LA en 0/0
325
32,5
Mf
2,39
CEM 1/42.5 N-LH/SR5
Mv(g /cm3)
2,63
255
2,55
3 14

Teneur en
chlore
Extrait sec
PH
Densité
Colore
<1g/L
6 ± 1.5
1.05 ± 0.02
BRUN
CLAIR

Table 2: -NAVA SUPERFLOW M120 characteristics

Figure 1: -Distribution of concrete materials

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