Influence of Surface Sealers on the Properties of Internally Cured Cement Mortars Containing Saturated Fine Lightweight Aggregate

AbstractTo date, internal curing (IC) has been widely accepted as a promising way to mitigate the autogenous shrinkage of high-performance concretes (HPCs). While extensive studies have confirmed the benefits of internal curing to HPCs cured under sufficient moisture, the durability implications of early-age drying remain unclear for internally cured cement-based materials. As such, this work investigates the influence of early-age drying on the properties of internally cured cement mortars containing saturated fine lightweight aggregate (LWA). The tests conducted on cement mortars with or without internal curing include: drying shrinkage, moisture loss, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, water absorption, and gas permeability. Additionally, two surface sealers were individually applied to mortars and evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing the risk of early-age drying. The results reveal that early-age drying significantly offsets the advantages of internal curing of LWA with respect...