Hey everyone, 

Daniel here from Ready Mixer.

Today we will talk about concrete curing time or concrete drying time. 

To start, concrete drying time simplified is the amount of time it takes water to dry from the concrete mix.

A few different variables can affect the drying time of concrete such as temperature, humidity, water-to-cement ratio, and additives in the concrete mix. 

Temperature can slow or speed up the drying process. Hotter temperatures mean quicker drying time while colder temperatures mean slower drying time.

Mixes with bigger aggregate types can slow the drying process down. Higher humidity temperature can lead to quicker dry times because of more moisture. Lower humidity temperature can lead to slower dry times because of less moisture. 

The total curing time for concrete to reach its maximum strength is 28 days. To walk on concrete it takes 24 – 48 hours. To drive a vehicle on concrete it takes a full week to reach its strength. Don’t risk stepping or driving on concrete before these time windows as it can lead to cracks and crumble apart. 

Additives such as calcium chloride will help speed up the drying time or retarders such as sodium sulfate, calcium sulfate, and tartaric acid will help slow them down.

Thanks for reading the blog and hope this post is helpful for your mini-batch plant operations.

As always give us a call or request a quote for your mini batch plant equipment.