Insufficient curing is frequently reported as causing early-age concrete pavement and bridge deck deterioration, posing safety and maintenance issues that cost agencies time and money.

Internal curing (IC) is a fairly new technique that prolongs portland cement hydration without increasing a concrete mixture’s initial water-to-cementitious materials (w/cm) ratio. The technique uniformly disperses curing water throughout a mixture via reservoirs that typically in the US consist of lightweight fine aggregate (LWFA) that has been saturated before batching.

The IC technique’s fundamental concept is that these reservoirs promote continued hydration within the matrix even after the system has begun drying out. This reduces warping and improves durability. Extensive lab and field work has confirmed that IC technology is fundamentally sound and practical for constructing bridges, pavements, and other transportation infrastructure.

While the following CP-Tech-Center-curated collection of resources is not comprehensive, it does represent the current state of IC research and best practice.