Internal curing is the process by which the hydration of cement continues because of the availability of internal water that is not part of the mixing water. Concrete curing technology has been challenged by the advent of modern concrete mixes. This includes pervious concrete, high performance concrete (HPC), decorative concrete, and shotcrete, among others. Also, in order to improve durability, many concrete mixtures incorporate supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) and/or utilize a much lower w/cm ratio. Both low w/cm and SCM present new challenges to conventional curing. Low w/cm decreases cement particle spacing leading to increased autogenous shrinkage while SCM generally requires moist curing for longer periods to hydrate.

How does HydroMax® work? 

HydroMax® internal curing admixture provides an internal source of water necessary to replace that consumed by chemical shrinkage during hydration. As the cement hydrates, this water is drawn from the pores in the admixture’s water reservoirs and absorbed into the pores of the cement paste. This process assists traditional curing techniques and can minimize the development of autogenous shrinkage, help in avoiding early-age cracking, and improve strength. Concrete is improved by increased hydration from internal curing. Benefits include early age shrinkage reduction, resistance to early-age cracking, increased strength, decreased permeability, decreased warping, dimensional stability, resistance to freeze/thaw damage, resistance to chemical attacks, and resistance to raveling.