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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
APRIL
2015
Perrie says the fact that curing is
important is well-known in the
construction sector, yet current curing
practice still remains generally inadequate.
“Perhaps the time has come to consider intro-
ducing penalties for incorrect curing to change
the apathy that prevails in the building and civil
engineering sectors,” he suggests.
“Correct curing means maintenance of
adequatemoisture and temperature conditions
to encourage cement hydration. This is of
fundamental importance in the development
of the physical properties of concrete necessary
to ensure its performance in service. Proper-
ties such as strength and durability, as well as
permeability, depend on the extent and quality
of curing of concrete during the first few days
after casting. Curing, in fact, is the final – and
vital – step in the production of good quality
concrete,” Perrie states.
He says some of the major factors that
contribute to the poor state of curing in South
Africa, include:
• National specifications and codes of
practice contain only vague stipulations
regarding the curing methods required
for the different applications of
concrete in various environments;
• Project specifications do not clearly state
the specific curing action required for
concrete on a given project;
• The cost of curing is not billed separately
in most tender documents;
• Insufficient support at all personnel
levels for training and education, such as
offered by The Concrete Institute’s School
of Concrete Technology, exacerbates
the situation. “This training is vital for
all employees involved in the design,
construction, and management of
concrete projects,” Perrie stresses;
• The misconception that cube
compressive strength sufficiently
indicates the durability of concrete
in a structure; and
• The increasing emphasis on ‘fast track’
construction methods in which concrete
is enclosed in shutters for very short
periods of time, followed by exposure to
drying conditions.
Perrie says the need to develop a more“respon-
sible” approach to concrete curing cannot be
over-emphasised. “A pro-active approach is
essential to address the present lack of educa-
tion and control of concrete curing, particu-
larly in the South African environment with
its excessive heat, dry climates, considerable
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PENALTIES FOR POOR CURING
The South African building and
civil engineering industries
have for years not employed
correct or adequate methods
of curing concrete – sacrificing
strength, permeability and
durability in the process, says
Bryan Perrie, managing director
of The Concrete Institute.
>
Incorrect curing methods still prevail in the
South African construction industry, says The
Concrete Institute.
wind speeds, all of which lead to a rapid loss
of moisture from freshly cast concrete, often
resulting in plastic cracking on the exposed
concrete surfaces.”
He also believes that curing should be listed
as separate cost in the Bill of Quantities or be
listed as a fixed, prime cost in the tender docu-
ments, with penalties imposed for inadequate
curing. “It is also necessary for national Codes
of Practice and specifications to provide more
details and guidance on concrete curing,”
Perrie adds.
Ottermann believes this project has been
resoundingly successful and has saved PPC a
lot of money.
“Load shifting is an important part of
reducing the likelihood of load shedding and,
although each single contribution seems as if
it is just a drop in the ocean, everyone needs
to do their part. I encourage everyone to
participate and shift as much load as possible,”
implores Ottermann.
“By doing so, it is only going to make us all
more resilient once we come out of this crisis.
If this power crisis is going to last five years,
then we all need to do as much as we possibly
can to become as efficient as we can. This will
help reduce the occurrences of load shedding
tremendously because Eskom’s systems are
under immense strain in peak times. By cutting
our peak time use, we can allow that electricity
to be distributed elsewhere.”
Being well versed in matters of energy
consumption around the world, Egmont firmly
believes that industry in South Africa is actually
on the leading edge of the energy fight – more
out of necessity than anything else.