Concrete Containing Natural Pozzolans:

New Challenges for Internal Curing

Gaston Espinoza-Hijazin1; Álvaro Paul2; and Mauricio Lopez, Ph.D.3

Abstract: Natural pozzolans (NP) have proven to be an effective supplementary cementitious material; however, the replacement of ordinary
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portland cement (OPC) with NP might increase the autogenous and drying shrinkage of concrete. Internal curing (IC) might be of great help
when using NP because it can promote the pozzolanic reactions and reduce shrinkage. The aim of this research is to assess the effect of IC in
concrete containing NP. Results indicate that a 39% replacement of OPC with NP decreased compressive strength by 15%, decreased chloride
ion permeability by 66%, and increased autogenous shrinkage by 40%. IC with prewetted lightweight aggregate showed no significant effect
in compressive strength or permeability, but it decreased autogenous shrinkage by up to 58%. NP used in this investigation presented higher
chemical shrinkage than OPC, making IC less effective as levels of NP increased. The important decrease in permeability attained through the
use of NP and the higher chemical shrinkage of NP makes IC a critical technology to consider in concrete mixtures with NP. DOI: 10.1061/
(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000421. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
CE Database subject headings: Concrete; Cement; Compressive strength; Shrinkage; Permeability; Curing.
Author keywords: Concrete; Cement; Curing; Compressive strength; Autogenous shrinkage; Permeability; Internal curing; SCM.

Introduction
The curing of concrete is an important process during the first hours
after casting to maintain optimal conditions for cement hydration
and for assuring the required durability and strength of the hard-
ened concrete, thus enabling a high performance of the structure
during its service life (Mehta and Monteiro 2006). Therefore, to
maximize the degree of hydration of cement and possibly that
of the supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) and to reduce
early shrinkage cracking (autogenous shrinkage, plastic shrinkage,
and drying shrinkage), it is important to apply effective curing
techniques during an extended period of time (Rilem TC
199-ICC 2007).
Common curing techniques consider an external water supply to
maintain a high internal relative humidity (RH) by water spraying
or fogging, watering, use of wet coverings, or ponding of the con-
crete element (ACI Committee 308; Kovler and Jensen 2005).
Although these external curing techniques may be useful for con-
ventional concrete, they might be difficult to apply for the long
periods of time needed for hydration because as they can interrupt
or delay other critical activities during construction. Insufficient
external curing can produce an important drop in the internal
1
Civil Engineer, School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Catolica
de Chile, Santiago, Chile; and Adjunct Professor, School of Civil Engineer-
ing, Universidad Diego Portales, Ejército 441, 8370191, Santiago, Chile.
E-mail: gaespino@uc.cl
2
Civil Engineer, Assistant Professor, School of Civil Engineering,
Universidad Diego Portales, Ejército 441, 8370191, Santiago, Chile.
E-mail: alvaro.paul@mail.udp.cl
3
Civil Engineer, Assistant Professor, School of Engineering, Pontificia
Universidad Catolica de Chile, Casilla 306, Correo 22, 6904411, Santiago,
Chile (corresponding author). E-mail: mlopez@ing.puc.cl
Note. This manuscript was submitted on June 6, 2011; approved on
November 7, 2011; published online on November 10, 2011. Discussion
period open until January 1, 2013; separate discussions must be submitted
for individual papers. This paper is part of the Journal of Materials in Civil
Engineering, Vol. 24, No. 8, August 1, 2012. ©ASCE, ISSN 0899-1561/
2012/8-981–988/$25.00.
relative humidity of the concrete and even interrupt the hydration
process. Curing is especially important when the concrete includes
SCMs such as pozzolans, silica fume or fly ash because
secondary hydration reactions require water for a longer period
of time.
In concretes with a water-cement ratio (w∕c) below approxi-
mately 0.42, there would be insufficient water to promote complete
hydration of the portland cement under sealed conditions, produc-
ing a quick consumption of water and an accelerated drop of the
internal humidity of the mixture. Thus, there might not be enough
water available for the SCMs to react with calcium hydroxide to
form calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H). A failure to reach high
degrees of hydration makes unhydrated cementitious materials
act as inert filler, reducing both the depercolation of the pore struc-
ture and the potential durability of the concrete.
To overcome this problem, it is necessary to supply additional
water during curing because avoiding water loss is not as sufficient
as other conventional external curing methods (ACI 308 2001).
Additionally, it is well established that concrete with a w∕c below
0.4 tends to possess low permeability; hence, even with good ex-
ternal curing practices, water entry will be limited (Bentz 2007,
Lopez et al. 2005).
A couple of decades ago, the internal curing method (IC) was
suggested to complement external curing (Philleo 1991; Jensen and
Hansen 2001) to overcome the problems described in the preceding
paragraphs. The method consists of storing water within concrete,
which is not available during mixing so it does not influence the
initial w∕c ratio but is later released to promote further hydration
reactions of cementitious materials.
IC has been successfully applied and understood in concrete
mixtures containing ordinary portland cement (OPC) and OPC with
SCMs such as fly ash and silica fume. However, the effect of IC on
mixtures containing SCMs such as natural pozzolans (NP) has not
been extensively investigated even though such SCMs can be a sus-
tainable alternative for the next few decades. To understand the im-
plications of using IC in concrete with NP, it is necessary to
introduce some concepts related to hydration.

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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2012, 24(8): 981-988

 Hydration of Cementitious Materials
Two conditions are needed to obtain the theoretical complete hy-
dration of the cementitious materials: (1) enough space for the hy-
dration products and (2) enough water for hydration reactions. It
has been established that concrete with a water-to-cementitious ma-
terials ratio (W∕CM) below 0.36 might not provide enough space
for hydration, whereas concrete mixtures with W∕CM between
0.36 and 0.42 might not provide enough water, and some additional
curing water is needed (Powers 1960; Mindess et al. 2003).
Hydration occurs when cementitious materials come in contact
with water, thus beginning the formation of hydration products
such as C-S-H, which explain most of the concrete’s strength,
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and calcium hydroxide, ettringite, and monosulphate. Part of the
water that does not chemically react with cementitious materials
is absorbed by the surface of the hydration products, another frac-
tion is retained within the interlayer voids of C-S-H, and the rest
remains as a solution inside the capillary pores formed during
chemical shrinkage (Mehta and Monteiro 2006).
Chemical shrinkage can be understood as the reduction of the
volume of the hydrated cement paste as a result of hydration prod-
ucts occupying less volume than the original products that form the
cement paste. Cementitious materials obtain the necessary water to
promote their hydration from the capillary pores, which are emptied
as hydration proceeds. This drainage of capillary pores generates
capillary stresses that produce volumetric reductions in a closed
isothermal system not subjected to external forces, known as autog-
enous shrinkage (Jensen and Hansen 2001).
Secondary Chemical Reactions in Cements with
Natural Pozzolans
There are two main classifications of pozzolans depending on the
source: Artificial and natural pozzolans. Artificial pozzolans are
those originated as by-products of some industrial processes, such
as power plants (i.e., fly ash), steel production (i.e., ground granu-
lated blast furnace slag), and ferrosilicon production (i.e., silica
fume). Natural pozzolans are naturally occurring pozzolans present
in the earth. They are usually abundant in silica and have high alu-
minum and iron contents. They can be classified in two categories:
Natural rocks that only require a grinding process to be used
(i.e., volcanic glass and pumicite) and soils that require a thermal
process to activate (i.e., calcined clays and metakaolin). The chemi-
cal composition and fineness of each category of natural pozzolans
will determine their reactivity.
ACI 116R (2000) defines natural pozzolans (NP) as “siliceous
materials that possesses little or no cementitious value but that will,
in finely divided form and in the presence of moisture, chemically
react with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperatures to form
compounds having cementitious properties.” This reaction is
known as a pozzolanic reaction.
During the pozzolanic reaction in concrete, two phenomena oc-
cur: First, there is a slow decrease of free calcium hydroxides over
time, and second, there is an increase in the formation of silicates
and aluminous-silicate hydrates, similar to the hydration products
of OPC. Studies show that calcium hydroxide content decreases
from 2.2 to 0.7% in concrete made with portland cement with
40% pozzolan additions compared with concrete prepared with
pure portland cement (Lea 1971), which indicates a greater content
of C-S-H and other hydration products with low porosity
(Mehta 1987).
Characteristics of Concrete with Pozzolan Additions
Physical properties of NP, such as shape, fineness, particle-size dis-
tribution, density, and composition of NP, have a great influence in
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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2012, 24(8): 981-988
fresh concrete properties and in the development of hardened con-
crete strength (ACI 232 2002).
Partial replacements of portland cement by high
SiO2 ∕ðAl2 O3 þ Fe2 O3 Þ ratio pozzolans increase concrete resis-
tance to both sulfate attack and substances contained in sea waters
(Mehta 1987). In some proportion, this is ascribed to the decrease
in free calcium hydroxide formed during portland cement hydra-
tion. The result is that the hardened concrete contains less calcium
hydroxide and greater amounts of C-S-H and other low-porosity
products.
On the other hand, the decrease in calcium hydroxides in con-
crete reduces the initial pH, making it more vulnerable to carbona-
tion, steel depassivation, and probably to corrosion (ACI 232
2002). Concrete with NP additions has proven to have a smaller
pore structure as a result of the pozzolanic reaction, which becomes
an important characteristic in the increase of concrete durability and
mechanical strength (Mehta 1987). Moreover, a finer porosity of
the C-S-H obtained from the pozzolanic reaction has been previ-
ously reported (Baroghel-Bouny 1996; Bentz et al. 2000).
Use of Natural Pozzolans in Concrete
NP is recommended as a partial replacement or addition to portland
cement for concretes that need a low heat of hydration; for example,
dams or other structures built with mass concrete and in structures
that require sulfate resistance concrete, such as bridges or piers
(Mielenz et al. 1950). Nowadays, the use of NP is suggested for
cost reasons, to reduce energy consumption by reducing the
CO2 emissions from portland cement manufacturing, and to reach
some technical benefits, such as a lower permeability of the hy-
drated paste (Mehta 1987).
Previous research has demonstrated that the use of pozzolans as
cement volume replacements in 20 to 30% produces less heat of
hydration, increases paste cohesion, and reduces expansion caused
by the alkali–silica reaction (Andriolo 1975).
Effects of Natural Pozzolans in Concrete Properties
The specific gravities of NP are generally lower than that of OPC,
so when OPC is replaced with NP by volume, a concrete of lower
density is obtained; when OPC is replaced with NP by mass, a
larger volume of fresh concrete is obtained. Some NPs produce
an important increase in water requirements and others have an
insignificant effect (Mather 1958). Additionally, because the poz-
zolanic reaction takes longer to occur in comparison with OPC,
concrete mixtures containing NP will require moist curing for a
longer periods of time. The effect of the pozzolanic reaction will
be highly dependent on the NP used, namely, its fineness and re-
activity. For example, metakaolin (calcined clay) presents an early
age reaction similar to that of silica fume, and grinded volcanic
glass reacts at a lower rate than that of a Class F fly ash.
The use of NPs, in general, produces a more cohesive mixture,
maintaining plastic consistency and improving workability;
however, this effect is highly dependent on the fineness of the
NP (Turanli et al. 2004). The NP can adsorb water from the mixture
and keep it within the system for improving concrete finishing (ACI
232 2002).
When using aggregates that are deficient in particles smaller
than 75 μm, the use of very fine pozzolans can reduce bleeding
and segregation and can increase concrete strength by improving
particle packing. The addition of pozzolans such as NP produced
concrete mixtures with lower permeability, lower heat of hydration,
lower expansion as a result of the alkali–silica reaction, greater
strength at later ages, and greater resistance to sulfate attack when
compared with pure portland cement samples (Mather 1958; Lopez
and Castro 2010).
 Concrete with a W∕CM of 0.4 and a 15% replacement of OPC
with NP by mass shows an increase from 36 to 48 MPa in com-
pressive strength (Zhang and Malhotra 1996). A research study on
the alkali–silica reaction showed a reduction in the expansion, at
one year of age, from 0.28 to 0.02% with a 30% replacement of
OPC with NP by mass (Saad et al. 1982). Although the use of
low-alkali cements is satisfactory to avoid expansion in a large
number of the most reactive aggregates, some aggregates require
an additional control, which is provided through the use of NP
or other SCMs.
Bentz (2007) carried out an extensive study on the autogenous
and chemical shrinkage of different blended cement with different
SCMs and observed that autogenous shrinkage was greater in
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blended cements than in OPC; blended cements with NP were
not included in this study, so their effect needs to be investigated.
The drying shrinkage of concrete prepared with blended ce-
ments containing NP depends on the hydrations of the cementitious
materials and the water requirements of the mixture. A research
study (Mehta 1981) showed that drying shrinkage in concretes with
NP (10, 20, and 30% replacement of OPC with NP) did not show
significant differences in drying shrinkage compared with the con-
trol sample, which had only OPC; all specimens showed drying
shrinkage values between 500 and 600 με. Conversely, Zhang
and Malhotra (1995) found an increase from 400 to 600 με in dry-
ing shrinkage when replacing OPC with 10% of NP (metakaolin).
Similarly, Videla et al. (2004) found that all drying shrinkage mod-
els greatly underestimated the drying shrinkage of blended cements
containing NP.
Research Significance
The use of NP in concrete has proven beneficial for several concrete
properties; however, curing is even more important than for con-
ventional concrete because of the longer hydration times involved
and higher shrinkage. To take full advantage of the use of NP,
appropriate curing methods should be ensured.
The objective of this research is to assess the potential beneficial
effects of applying IC to concrete mixtures with NP. Particularly,
the research seeks to quantify and explain the effects of IC on com-
pressive strength, chloride ion permeability, and autogenous
shrinkage for concretes containing NP.
Experimental Procedure
The experimental procedure was designed to quantify the effect of
IC on concrete performance as the replacement of OPC with NP
increases. Three relevant properties of concrete were analyzed:
The compressive strength to symbolize the structural behavior;
The autogenous shrinkage, to represent the cracking tendency;
and the chloride ion permeability, to represent the durability of
concrete.
Table 1. Chemical Composition of NP (Rafael Cepeda, Personal Communication, May 11, 2011) and OPC, by Courtesy of Rafael Cepeda
Natural pozzolan (rhyolite pumicite–volcanic glass) (%)
SiO2 Al2 O3 Fe2 O3 CaO MgO
69.2 13.2 1.7 2.7 0.8
Ordinary portland cement (Type I) (%)
SiO2 Al2 O3 Fe2 O3 CaO SO3
20.8 6.0 2.9 63.2 1.8
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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2012, 24(8): 981-988
Eight mixtures were prepared at a W∕CM of 0.3, with different
amounts of replacement of OPC with NP, with or without an IC
agent. Testing was performed at the age of 90 days to ensure a high
degree of hydration. The strength and permeability specimens were
cast in 100 mm ðdiameterÞ × 200 mm ðheightÞ cylinders, which
were demolded at 24 h of age and kept in a fog room with an ap-
proximately relative humidity of 100% and temperature of 23°C.
Autogenous shrinkage specimens were prepared in flexible corru-
gated molds, 350 mm ðlengthÞ × 22 mm ðdiameterÞ, as detailed in
subsequent paragraphs, and the measurements started after the final
set. With the purpose of controlling the hydration process of
cementitious materials and to avoid variability, the paste and
aggregates volume was kept constant in all trial mixtures.
With regard to the cementitious materials, concrete with four
different combinations of OPC and NP were prepared. The replace-
ment of OPC with NP was made at 0, 13, 26, and 39% levels ex-
pressed by mass. Two mixtures were prepared for each
combination, a control mixture without IC and another one with
IC through the use of saturated lightweight fine aggregate.
The NP used in this investigation had a volcanic origin and
could be classified as a Type-N pozzolan according to ASTM
C618 (2008). It corresponded to a volcanic glass known as rhyolite
pumicite, and it was obtained from the area known as Polpaico. The
chemical compositions of the NP and OPC used in this investiga-
tion are shown in Table 1. Additionally, a scanning electron micro-
scope (SEM) image of the NP can be seen in Fig. 1, in which a void
and fluid structure and pyroplastic texture are appreciable.
The chemical composition of the NP used in this investigation
suggests an almost negligible hydraulic activity (2.7% of CaO
content) and a relatively high pozzolanic activity because of its
69.2% of SiO2 . Therefore, the effect of using NP on the properties
of the concrete will be more noticeable at later ages (Uzal and
Turanli 2003).
Although there are several potentially useful curing agents to
perform internal curing, this research considered the use of ex-
panded clay fine aggregate (particle size of under 5 mm) because
it has been successfully applied in several studies for mixtures of
low W∕CM (e.g., Paul and Lopez 2011; Jensen and Lura 2006).
This curing agent was chosen for its absorption and desorption
capacity and its particle size, which allows a better distribution
within the concrete mixture. This optimizes the efficiency of inter-
nal curing by minimizing the water transport distance (Bentz 2007).
The expanded clay’s properties used are shown in Table 2.
The mixtures, prepared at a W∕CM of 0.3, were designed to
maintain the paste volume constant at 35%. The lightweight aggre-
gate (LWA), used as the internal curing agent, was replaced with
normal fine aggregate in equal volume, and the amount was calcu-
lated on the basis of the method developed by Bentz and Snyder
(Bentz et al. 2005). According to this method, the curing water
amount is directly proportional to the cement amount, the degree
of maximum hydration expected (83.33%), and the chemical
shrinkage (CS) to complete hydration.
K2 O SO3 Na2 O TiO2 P2 O5 LOI
3.0 0.1 3.9 0.2 0.1 4.36
Blaine fineness (m2 ∕kg)
360
 Tests Performed

The compressive strength tests were carried out at 90 days, accord-

ing to ASTM C39 (2001). At least three cylinders of 200 mm in
height and 100 mm in diameter were tested for each one of the eight
mixtures prepared.
The chloride ion permeability test was performed in accordance
with ASTM C1202 (2005); test specimens of 50
2 mm in height
and 100 mm in diameter were cut from the 100 × 200 mm cylin-
ders, and they were sealed with rubber cement on their lateral sec-
tion. They were then vacuum saturated before testing. Specimens
were placed on two cells containing different solutions: 3% NaCl
solution (which will be connected to the negative pole) and 0.3 N
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NaOH solution (which will be connected to the positive pole). The

two poles are then connected a 60-V power supply, and the result-
ing current intensity through the specimen is measured every 5 min
Fig. 1. SEM image of the natural pozzolan surface, 1,200 X (Rafael
for 6 h. The chloride ion permeability is expressed as the charged
Cepeda, personal communication, May 11, 2011); by courtesy of
passed during the 6 h through the specimen.
Rafael Cepeda
The autogenous shrinkage was measured by applying the
method developed by Jensen and Hansen (1995) that recently be-
came ASTM Standard C1698 (2009). The concrete mixture was
placed in a corrugated, flexible, and airtight cylinder mold, which
Table 2. Properties of the Internal Curing Agent, Expanded Clay does not restrain shrinkage and prevents moisture loss. Specimens
Particle size range (mm) 0.08–5 were kept at a constant temperature to avoid thermal strains. There-
fore, measured strains correspond to autogenous shrinkage (shrink-
1-day absorption (%) 21.2
age by self-desiccation: Autogenous deformation in a material's
3-day absorption (%) 28.5 system) (Jensen and Hansen 2001).
32-day absorption (%) 30.8 The setting time was measured by the Vicat test (ASTM C191
90-day absorption (%) 31.1 2004). The length of the specimen after the final set was considered
Oven dry density (kg∕m3 ) 1,653 as the initial length of the specimen, and the change in length was
SSD density (kg∕m3 ) 1,920 measured for a period of 50 days.
Porosity (%) 41
Water release rate (grams of water∕grams of 10.1
dry aggregate∕day × 105 ) desorption Test Result Analysis

This study considered a CS of 0.055 (typical for OPC; Kovler
2007), regardless the replacement of OPC with NP. Therefore, the
mixtures with NP considered an amount of IC agent that might be
insufficient if the NP has a chemical shrinkage greater than the
OPC, as suggested by previous studies (Bentz 2007). Table 3
presents the mixture designs used in each of the eight mixtures
analyzed.
Compressive Strength
Compressive strength was tested 90 days after mixing (Fig. 2).
As expected, the replacement of the OPC with NP increased the
compressive strength for low levels of replacement. However, when
replacement levels were higher (26 and 39% by mass), a reduction
in the 90-day compressive strength was observed. Recent studies

Table 3. Mixture Designs of Concretes (kg∕m3 )

Mixture Coarse Fine LWA HRWRd
IDa OPC NP Water NWAb NWAc for IC
0% 518 0 155 790 965 0 13
0% IC 518 0 155 790 799 119 13
13% 442 66 153 790 966 0 13
13% IC 442 66 153 790 802 117 13
26% 370 130 150 790 965 0 13
26% IC 370 130 150 790 804 115 13
39% 300 192 148 790 965 0 13
39% IC 300 192 148 790 807 113 13
a
All mixtures were designed on a 2% entrained air basis.
b
NWA: Normal weight aggregate, siliceous aggregate (maximum size Fig. 2. Effect of IC on compressive strength at 90 days: 0, 13, 26, and
aggregate ¼ 10 mm). 39% replacement of OPC with NP by mass (W∕CM ¼ 0:3); samples
c
NWA: Normal weight aggregate, siliceous aggregate (maximum size
internally cured present higher variability; error bars show the range of
aggregate ¼ 5 mm).
d
HRWR: High range water reducing admixture.
results for each mixture

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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2012, 24(8): 981-988

 have suggested that an approximately 20% replacement of OPC
with NP of a different chemical composition would maximize
the compressive strength of concrete (Pekmezci and Akyüz 2004;
Mouli and Khelafi 2008).
Fig. 2 shows that there would be no significant differences be-
tween the compressive strength of mixtures with or without IC (for
an equal replacement proportion with natural pozzolan) and that the
variability of the tested specimens was relatively low.
Because all of the mixtures had the same amount of IC agent and
the intrinsic strength of LWA is lower than that of the normal ag-
gregate being replaced (Videla and Lopez 2002; Paul and Lopez
2011), a reduction in the compressive strength of the mixtures with
internal curing is expected if no other effect is considered. Never-
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theless, Fig. 2 does not show strength reduction when using an IC
agent (i.e., there was a strength increase in the cement paste as a
result of the internal curing). In other words, the hydration increase
produced by IC (Espinoza-Hijazin and Lopez 2011) has produced a
strength increase in cement paste that is capable of counteracting
the strength loss caused by using LWA. When analyzing the levels
of NP replacement, a general trend of compressive strength reduc-
tion is observed as the NP content increases. For instance, the mix-
tures with a 39% replacement of OPC with NP presented a
Fig. 3. Effect of IC on chloride ion permeability at 90 days: 0, 13, 26,
and 39% replacement of OPC with NP by mass (W∕CM ¼ 0:3);
dashed lines indicate the frontier between each classification of chlor-
ide ion penetrability, according to ASTM C1202(2005)
Fig. 4. Effect of IC on autogenous shrinkage: 0, 13, 26, and 39% replacement of OPC with NP by mass (W∕CM ¼ 0:3); zero value corresponds to
time of final set; samples internally cured show lower autogenous shrinkages until Day 56
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J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2012, 24(8): 981-988
compressive strength of approximately 86.7% of those with only
OPC. This suggests that at 90 days of age, some NP has already
hydrated, contributing to compressive strength; otherwise, the drop
in strength would have been greater. These results agree with those
obtained previously using NP with similar SiO2 contents (Uzal and
Turanli 2003), in which a reduction in compressive strength at
90 days was observed. Nevertheless, results are not in agreement
with those obtained by Papadakis and Tsimas (2002) using NP with
less SiO2 and more CaO.
Even though IC seems to either maintain or increase the 90-day
compressive strength, it does not show statistically relevant benefits
regarding a compressive strength gain, as concluded by a t-student
statistical test by comparison of means. Therefore, the increase in
compressive strength as a result of enhanced hydration of the spec-
imens with IC was somehow counteracted by the increase in poros-
ity when including LWA in the mixture as an IC agent.
Chloride Ion Penetration
A chloride ion penetration test was performed at 90 days of age.
Fig. 3 shows the results with the average value of at least two
samples.
Results show that there is no significant difference in the chlo-
ride ion permeability between the mixtures with and without IC.
Thus, it may be concluded that internal curing would not offer addi-
tional benefits to those of an efficient external curing. On the other
hand, the results show a clear permeability reduction as the level of
NP replacement increases. This would indicate that the NP reacts
with calcium hydroxide in the presence of moisture, so the hard-
ened concrete contains less calcium hydroxide and more C-S-H and
other low-porosity products, which entails lower permeability
(Mehta 1987).
A reduction in compressive strength and a great reduction in
permeability because of the use of NP has been observed previ-
ously (Uzal and Turanli 2003) and might be a result of the fact that
the contribution of NP is more efficient in helping the depercolation
of capillary pores than in reducing the overall porosity; this,
however, needs to be further investigated.
Even though IC seems to decrease chloride ion permeability in
some cases, it does not show statistically relevant benefits in the
reduction of permeability, as concluded from the t-student statisti-
cal test. This might be a result of the fact that control mixtures
 (without IC) already contained very low chloride ion permeability.
The compressive strength and chloride ion penetrability tests
showed a decrease in these properties as the NP content increases
and did not prove any significant influence with the application
of IC.
One possible explanation of this nonrelevant effect of IC as NP
increases might be found in the NP water demand. Previous re-
search has concluded that NP water demand is greater than that
of OPC (Ayres and Khan 1993; Uzal and Turanli 2003; Malhotra
and Mehta 2009); in consequence, at greater amounts of NP, the
lack of curing water increases. Moreover, it must be considered that
the pozzolanic reaction produces a greater chemical shrinkage and
is relatively unaffected by the relative humidity drop (Jensen and
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Hansen 2001). Additionally, a study on IC with different types of
pozzolans concluded that the amount of IC water required is highly
dependent on the type of pozzolan (Bentz 2007).
Finally, all the specimens tested for compressive strength and
chloride ion permeability were kept at 100% RH for the 90 days
before testing. This ideal external curing could have helped to
promote hydration, making the effect of IC less noticeable.
Autogenous Shrinkage
The autogenous shrinkage measured for at least 50 days in all
investigated mixtures is shown in Fig. 4.
After 50 days of measurement, mixtures without IC presented
autogenous shrinkages between 963 and 1395 με, depending
on the replacement level of OPC with NP. These values double
or triple those reported previously for mixtures of blended cements
(silica fume, fly ash, and slag) at the same W∕CM (Bentz 2007).
This suggests that the NP used in this investigation has an elevated
chemical shrinkage. Mixtures with IC presented autogenous
shrinkages between 555 and 891 με, depending on the replace-
ment level of OPC with NP (i.e., the higher the NP content, the
higher the autogenous shrinkage).
All of the samples with IC significantly reduced the autogenous
shrinkage with respect to the mixtures containing the same amount
of NP and without IC. Considering the replacement of the OPC
with NP of 0, 13, 26, and 39% by mass, there was an autogenous
shrinkage reduction of 621, 254, 641, and 382 με, respectively.
Values obtained from the t-student statistical test indicate that there
is a 99.9% probability of significant differences between the autog-
enous shrinkage of the samples with and without IC.
The contribution of IC to the reduction of the autogenous
shrinkage is mainly observed within the first 5 days, in which there
is an autogenous expansion instead of an autogenous shrinkage.
This has been previously observed by several authors (Bentz
and Snyder 1999; Bentur et al. 2001; Jensen and Hansen 2002;
Zhutovsky et al. 2002) and can be explained by the presence of
water in the capillary pores, which reduces the capillary stresses,
and by the presence of interlayer water on C-S-H, which produces a
separation of layers and swelling.
The reduction of autogenous shrinkage favors cracking reduc-
tion at early ages caused by stresses generated upon strain restraint.
Autogenous shrinkage is delayed to later ages, when the concrete
has gained higher strength and is more capable of resisting stresses,
which reduces the cracking tendency; however, the elastic modulus
of concrete has also increased, which might increase the cracking
tendency. The experimental data and conclusions agree with the
conclusions that IC minimizes the autogenous shrinkage without
affecting the mechanical properties, such as compressive strength
(Cusson and Hoogeveen 2008).
Fig. 4 shows a clear relationship between the replacement of
OPC with NP and the autogenous shrinkage in all mixtures. With
986 / JOURNAL OF MATERIALS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING © ASCE / AUGUST 2012
J. Mater. Civ. Eng., 2012, 24(8): 981-988
the sole exception of the mixture without IC and 13% NP, it may be
stated that whenever the NP content increases, the autogenous
shrinkage increases, as well. This suggests that NP presents a
higher autogenous shrinkage and higher water consumption, which
accelerates the mixture’s self-desiccation.
Therefore, it may be concluded that efficient curing techniques,
such as IC, become more necessary as the content of NP increases.
It may also be concluded that the water content of IC was not
enough to prevent the autogenous shrinkage occurrence of either
the mixture with only OPC or of the mixtures with OPC and
NP. Greater contents of IC water may be necessary to further
decrease autogenous shrinkage.
Results suggest that IC was able to reduce autogenous shrinkage
between 26 and 53%. These results were compared with data ob-
tained from IC applied to concrete mixtures with silica fume and fly
ash, in which autogenous shrinkage was completely eliminated
(Bentz 2007). This suggests that the NP used in this investigation
might have a higher chemical shrinkage than other SCMs.
Conclusions
Concretes with a low W∕CM containing NP, such as those used
in this research, require an efficient curing application because
of high water demand. This is very difficult to achieve based only
on traditional external curing because of the low permeability of
these mixtures and the need for a long curing time to support
the occurrence of pozzolanic reactions. Thus, IC seems a promising
alternative to promote hydration in such complex circumstances. It
has been observed that the main benefit of IC in these mixtures with
a W∕CM ¼ 0:3 and NP is the autogenous shrinkage reduction.
Additionally, the use of prewetted LWA as an IC agent neither
reduces the concrete’s strength nor increases its chloride ion per-
meability, so it may be used to reduce autogenous shrinkage with-
out the risk of negatively affecting other properties. The fact that IC
is beneficial to the autogenous shrinkage but is not relevant to com-
pressive strength or chloride ion permeability can be explained by
the ideal external curing conditions. That is, the specimens used in
strength and chloride ion permeability were moist cured for 90 days
(100% relative humidity and 23
1°C), whereas the specimens for
autogenous shrinkage were cured under sealed conditions. This im-
plies that for compressive strength and chloride ion permeability
specimens, the incremental benefit of IC may not have been sig-
nificant compared with the external curing benefit; however, in
the sealed specimens, in which gaining water from the outside
was prevented, IC plays a critical role.
It can also be concluded that the addition of NP produced differ-
ences in compressive strength as the replacement of OPC with NP
increased. The difference between the maximum and minimum
strength was 19.8%. The maximum strength was obtained with
a 13% replacement of OPC with NP, whereas the lowest strength
was obtained with a 39% replacement of OPC with NP.
Additionally, results showed that the chloride ion permeability
decreases as the NP content increases. Concrete mixtures having
only OPC showed chloride ion permeability up to three times
greater than that of concrete with 39% of NP. It was observed that
autogenous shrinkage increases as NP content increases. Because
the NP needs curing water at later ages because of the pozzolanic
reaction, effective curing strategies, such as IC, become critical.
Furthermore, NP reduces the permeability of concrete, so an exter-
nal water supply (external curing) becomes more inefficient.
 Acknowledgments
The authors greatly acknowledge the support given by the Chilean
Council for Science and Technology Research (Conicyt) through
Fondecyt Project #11060341 and the support of Rafael Cepeda,
from Cementos Polpaico, for the important information provided.
Additionally, the authors want to thank Mauricio Guerra, Patricio
Garcia, and several students for their assistance during the research.
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