Concrete maturity is a non-destructive approach to testing concrete that allows you to estimate the early-age and compressive strength of in-place concrete in real-time. Adopting the maturity approach in your jobsite eliminates the need for concrete cylinder break tests, allowing you to greatly optimize your schedule.
ASTMC1074, the standard practice for maturity, defines the method as “a technique for estimating concrete strength that is based on the assumption that samples of a given concrete mixture attain equal strengths if they attain equal values of the maturity index.”
In other words, maturity is a value that represents the progression of concrete curing. The maturity index value considers concrete temperature and curing time. As a result, mix calibration is required to implement this concept in a project. The goal of the calibration is to determine a relationship between maturity and strength for a specific mix.
Using a concrete maturity sensor allows you to collect such data. The sensor works by measuring the temperature of the concrete and then calculates the concrete’s strength/maturity through the calibration data previously inputted by the user. Doing so replaces the need for break tests. These wireless maturity sensors, like SmartRock®, eliminate the use of cumbersome wires. Furthermore, it can connect to any smart mobile device and transmit data instantly without the use of a data logger, which is often expensive.
Maturity Method
Measuring the early-age strength of concrete is an important step in discerning its strength. The challenge lies in finding a way to obtain concrete strength data in a simple, yet fast, and efficient manner. With sensors, measuring concrete strength, also referred to as “maturity”, is a non-destructive method that can greatly optimize your jobsite schedule.
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Want to learn more about thermal cracking? Check out this case study.
Source: Giatec.