Use of polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene glycol as self-curing agents for concrete pavement

Abstract

Concrete pavements require substantial amount of water for curing process which is a challenge considering its large surface area and to mitigate this challenge, use of internal curing agents is considered in this study. The use of super-absorbent polymer (SAP) has been reported in this regard the increased porosity resulting after release of internal water is a major concern here. Alternatively, polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) can be considered for self-curing. Scarce literature is available with respect to these two polymers. In this study, the workability, strength, durability, and microstructure properties of pavement-quality concrete with PVA and PEG were analyzed and compared with that of SAP and conventionally cured concrete. The results indicated that at the optimal dosage, PVA/PEG exhibited better mechanical and durability properties when compared to conventionally cured concrete; SAP exhibited a reduction in strength for dosages higher than 0.6%, due to the increased porosity and this was verified through SEM images also. The measurement of internal humidity on concrete slabs showed that internal humidity retention was better in the case of PEG. Pavement design as per IRC:58-2015 design guideline and cost analysis for the respective thickness showed that the use of certain self-curing additives results in economic advantages also.