Early strength development
This month Arthur Harrisson discusses early strength development in concrete, which is affected by many variables in practice. In the two-stage process, which includes a setting and a hardening phase, he observes the parts played by sulphates and C3A while acknowledging the importance of other factors such as the C3S content.
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Cement hydrates five hours after mixing
Several studies of which factors influence early strength performance have been carried out under controlled conditions with a limited number of variables. In practice many values are varying at the same time at a cement plant and it can be the case that what affects the strength development in one way on one plant, may have a different effect elsewhere.
The progress of cement hydration is conventionally divided into setting and hardening, with various stages included in each of these.