What Is Concrete Maturity?

Concrete Maturity

Concrete maturity indicates how far curing has progressed. Maturity is the relationship between concrete temperature, time, and strength gain. It is represented by an index value that can be measured in real time in the field.

The Concrete Maturity Method

The maturity method, often simply referred to as maturity, is a way of evaluating new concrete’s in-place strength by relating time and temperature measurements to actual strength values.

To expedite schedules, increase safety, and improve construction methods, construction teams want to know the strength of their concrete at the job site in real time. Since maturity is related to concrete strength, the maturity method is a way to accomplish this without solely relying on standard test specimens and laboratory testing.

Maturity is calculated by tracking changes in fresh concrete temperature over time. Since each concrete mix has its own strength-maturity relationship, we can use maturity to estimate the strength of that mix at any moment after placement. When we know the maturity of a certain concrete, we can use that concrete’s specific strength-maturity relationship to make a reliable estimate of its strength.

Basic Steps

1. Track internal temperatures during curing
2. Use the tracked internal temperature history to calculate maturity
3. Use the strength-maturity relationship to estimate strength

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When using the maturity method, construction teams can estimate real-time strength gain of in-place concrete on the job site. There’s no need to waste valuable construction time waiting for the strength of standard test specimens to catch up to the in-place concrete.

Without maturity monitoring, in-place concrete strength is estimated by performing compressive cylinder tests in a laboratory. Relying solely on lab tests requires several specimens and can waste valuable time if a project’s in-place concrete reaches sufficient strength before standard test intervals. In the construction business, time is money.

To save time and money on a project, the construction team monitors maturity to quickly determine when concrete has reached its required strength.

Key Maturity Benefits

• Concrete strength can be evaluated in real-time.
• Less time is spent waiting for test specimens to catch up to concrete strength.
• The number of test specimens required for QC and potentially QA will decrease.
• Tendons may be stressed, forms and shores may be stripped and removed, and loads may be applied sooner than otherwise anticipated.
• Expedited schedules may result in bonuses.