No, this is a bit of a myth with the concrete industry. While concrete does continue to harden indefinitely, pore moisture has to drop below a certain level at some point and this isn't typically 100 years.
The answer is that concrete never cures completely. It is always hardening a little bit more each day. The way concrete hardens is a function of the cement particles reacting with the water it is mixed with.
Technically, concrete never stops curing. In fact, concrete gets stronger and stronger as time goes on. But, as far as we're concerned, to reach a practical strength, most industrial concrete mixes have a 28 day curing period.
The 50-year strength was typically 2.4 times the 28-day strength. However, cements made since the 1930s (with a lower C2S content and a higher specific surface) reach their peak strength between 10 and 25 years, and thereafter undergo some retrogression of strength.
Carbonation is a slowly occurring process whereby concrete (in the presence of moisture) reacts with carbon dioxide in the air, thereby reducing the pH of the concrete. Over a century, the carbonation depth may be on the order of several inches depending on the quality of the concrete.
Modern concrete—used in everything from roads to buildings to bridges—can break down in as few as 50 years. But more than a thousand years after the western Roman Empire crumbled to dust, its concrete structures are still standing.
Does concrete take 100 years to cure? No, this is a bit of a myth with the concrete industry. While concrete does continue to harden indefinitely, pore moisture has to drop below a certain level at some point and this isn't typically 100 years.
Strength tends to increase, with mixing time, up to a point. However, over-mixing causes excess water evaporation and the formation of fine particles within the mix. This weakens the concrete and makes it harder to work with.
But material limitations, design and construction practices, and severe exposure conditions can cause concrete to deteriorate, which may result in aesthetic, functional, or structural problems. Concrete can deteriorate for a variety of reasons, and concrete damage is often the result of a combination of factors.
Concrete mainly gains strength by hydration of water present in it, this will lead to decrease in water cement ratio and increase in strength of concrete. Therefore, Strength of concrete increases with age.
Since cement lacks any natural bonding agents, newly-poured concrete won't naturally bond to the existing slab. You'll need to either use a bonding agent to adhere the two layers together or use an unbonded overlay method. Condition-affected life span: Properly installed concrete can last for over 50 years.
Concrete that is not moist-cured at all dries too rapidly, and reaches less than half its potential design strength. It will also have a greater number of shrinkage cracks.
Although concrete is very durable, over time it will surely wear down. A few reasons that concrete can deteriorate include: Concrete that's untreated can absorb water and stains from anything on the surface. The contracting and expanding of freeze/thaw temperatures will cause micro cracks and surface deterioration.
Rain can influence the surface appearance of the concrete and its internal strength. It can cause the concrete surface to become soft, which reduces the abrasion resistance and strength of concrete. At the same time, it increases the tendency for dusting and cracking to develop.
Cover the concrete with a plastic sheet to trap moisture escaping from the concrete. This moisture helps the concrete to cure faster without drying out too quickly.
Concrete shrinks and expands due to moisture and temperature changes. Because of moisture loss, a 100-foot-long slab-on-ground can shrink from 0.48 to 0.96 inches over several months.
As seawater percolated within the tiny cracks in the Roman concrete, it reacted with phillipsite naturally found in the volcanic rock and created aluminous tobermorite crystals. The result is a candidate for "the most durable building material in human history".
The water causes the hardening of concrete through a process called hydration. Hydration is a chemical reaction in which the major compounds in cement form chemical bonds with water molecules and become hydrates or hydration products.
Concrete has great compressive strength, but poor tensile strength. This is because concrete is made of 'little' stones, which means that it always has microscopic cracks in its body. When tensile forces are applied to concrete, these cracks become elongated and eventually the concrete breaks apart.
Topical sealants can be applied to further prevent concrete deterioration. Creto TopSeal is a hydrophobic, natural looking, topical sealant that is VOC free like all of the other Creto products. This combination of sealants can greatly reduce concrete deterioration and keep repair costs down on your property.
The compressive strength of concrete made with sulphate resisting cement was about 75–90% of the strength of concrete made with ordinary Portland cement after five years.
When water comes in contact with cement, it begins a chemical process called hydration. This process forms crystals that bind the coarse aggregates together. Hydration is how concrete gains its strength.
Curing time of concrete is typically 24-48 hours, at which point it's safe for normal foot traffic. After one week, concrete is typically cured enough to handle continued construction including heavy machinery. Concrete is recognized to have reached full strength 28 days after placement.
Bottom line: Cement is a powdered ingredient used to make concrete. Concrete is the material used to make sidewalks, driveways and buildings. Sakrete makes a number of different concrete formulations in varying strengths and set times to meet the needs of different job requirements.
The general rule of thumb is that concrete takes about 28 days to dry for every inch of slab thickness. Within 24 to 48 hours, the concrete will be ready for foot traffic.