Compressive Behavior of Self-curing Concrete with Lightweight Porous Aggregate and Polyethylene Glycol

Curing of concrete is maintaining satisfactory moisture content in concrete during its early stages in order to develop the desired properties. Any laxity in curing will badly affect the strength and durability of concrete. The aim of the investigation is to evaluate the use of water-soluble polyethylene glycol as self-curing agent with partial replacement of conventional fine aggregate with light weight fine aggregate such as sand stone and to optimize the quantity of lightweight aggregate and poly-ethylene glycol. By studying the mechanical properties of concrete by replacing the fine aggregate with lightweight fine aggregate by 0%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%, the optimum quantity of lightweight aggregate was found as 25%. Self-curing concrete of M30 grade were cast by replacing fine aggregate with 25% lightweight fine aggregate, whose water absorption property is high, and by varying quantity of polymeric glycol by 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2%, the optimum percentage of polyethylene glycol was found as 1%. In this study, compressive strength of self-curing concrete with varying quantity of polyethylene glycol was evaluated and compared with the conventional concrete specimens.