The Effect of Paraffin-Based and Acrylic-Based Curing Compounds on Silica Fume Blended Cement Concrete Compressive Strength and Density
摘要
Concrete is fundamental to the construction industry, from towering skyscrapers to modest single-story residences. The increasing demand for concrete drives innovation and presents challenges in maintaining high quality. This study addresses the problem of optimizing concrete performance by exploring the effects of paraffin-based and acrylic-based curing compounds on silica fume blended cement concrete. Using a methodical approach, concrete samples were prepared and tested for compressive strength and density after 7 and 28 days of curing. The results indicate that both curing compounds enhance the compressive strength and density of the concrete, with acrylic-based compounds showing the most significant improvement. These findings contribute to the understanding of curing compounds’ roles in concrete durability and strength. The compressive strength of the acrylic-based samples increases by 30% after the 7 days testing while the paraffin-based curing samples increase by 29.4%. The results also indicate that the increment of strength for both concrete is around the same whichever curing compounds used. The air curing samples, however, increased by 28% from the 7 days strength to the 28 days strength.