Why water is required to make cement stronger?

Question

I heard that more u keep pouring water on freshly prepared structure wih concrete and cement, more strong it becomes, why is it so?

Answer 1

A certain quantity of water will be absorbed to complete hydration of cement and attain full strength which is called curing process. So surfaces of concrete exposed should be kept damp for minimum 7 days in normal atmospheric condition.However pouring more water than is necssary / cement can absorb will not impart any strength further. That excess water evaporates and lost to atmosphere.

Answer 2

the term you are looking for is cure ..in the trade we lay hessian sacking over fresh concrete to help it dry more slowly ..this stops surface cracking and fissures ..it takes more than 7 years to reach its max strength..the americans are the best in the world for mass concrete  

Answer 3

Do it yourselfers love to spray water on a new slab, but do you ever see the Pro's do this - No.

The best thing to do to help a slab cure evenly is to spray on a cure sealer after the slab is floated,and finished.

Concrete puts off heat during this chemical reaction of curing, spraying cool water on a slab pulls this heat out quicker than a normal curing process and can result in small spider cracks all over the surface.

The most important thing to do is to sawcut in control joints later the same day or early the next morning - waiting too long will result in the concrete cracking in undesirable places.

Let the concrete cure naturally - leave the water spraying to others who don't know better.

Answer 4

I light spray with water every day keeps the surface of the newly poured concrete moist, this gives time for the chemical reaction (hardening) to occur before the concrete drys out. If the surface dries too quickly, it would lead to a slightly "softer" surface.

Answer 5

The process is called hydration.  It is a chemical reaction between the cement powder and water, in which the cement particles grow dendrites of calcium salts which interlock and hold the whole mass together.  So it is common to keep the surface of newly laid concrete damp for a few days to assure that all of the cement gets hydrated.