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DensiCrete is not a typical curing compound that prevents early water loss from the concrete. DensiCrete’s technology uses the excess water in a new pour in conjunction with the additional water and silica in DensiCrete to form a stronger and denser concrete. DensiCrete can be applied early to freshly poured concrete to accelerate the normal curing process.
There are a number of chemical reactions and compounds that form slowly in new concrete over the first month. The pace of these reactions is a key reason why concrete slowly gains strength and hardness. The primary early reactions combine silicate, calcium and water that contribute the most to the strength the concrete ultimately achieves.
Concrete has excess of calcium that quickly reacts with DensiCrete. There’s more calcium than can chemically react with the silicate in the cement mix and that’s by design to keep the cement workable and from setting up too quickly during placement. DensiCrete (a silicate in water) provides additional silicates and water that react with this excess calcium in the concrete matrix forming additional concrete in the process. This combination is the same chemical reaction that happens when DensiCrete is applied either to new or old concrete.
DensiCrete can be applied to newly poured concrete after the concrete placement is finished and can be walked on without leaving marks (commonly 2-4 hours). At this point the chemical reactions are already underway, but are incomplete. Since DensiCrete is a penetrating sealer, not a surface sealer, when its applied it delivers additional silicate and water into the concrete matrix to accelerate the remaining chemical reactions where DensiCrete also increases the strength and hardness of new concrete.
A major benefit of DensiCrete is that it can be applied to new concrete as soon as it can be walked on without leaving marks. This eliminates the need to return at a later date to seal the concrete. DensiCrete accelerates the curing process allowing the concrete to cure faster and results in a stronger and denser concrete.
An added key benefit of early application is less early shrinkage. Independent lab results show that after 28 days of initial curing there is 17% less shrinkage of new concrete sealed with DensiCrete versus the non treated samples. Less shrinkage leads to less shrinkage cracking.
Finally, when using DensiCrete as a cure accelerator you still get the benefits that DensiCrete delivers as a penetrating sealer such as freeze thaw protection, spalling resistance, and salt resistance. Because DensiCrete can be applied early in the curing process, there is no need to come back at a later date to apply a sealer.
Especially in hot and dry climates, DensiCrete is not a replacement for curing compounds. Regular curing protocols should be followed along with the use of DensiCrete.
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