Is it better to pour a large amount of water for concrete curing? If you water it this way, it will crack and turn completely dry later on!

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Is it better to pour a large amount of water for concrete curing? If you water it this way, it will crack and turn completely dry later on! For the concrete poured at the construction site, workers were worried that it wouldn’t be properly cured, so they used high-pressure water hoses to spray the surface intensively. A few days later, cracks appeared on the surface of the concrete, and those were irregular crack patterns... Curing is not like putting out a fire; the higher the water pressure, the better it isn’t. Pouring a large amount of water is like ‘pouring cold water’ on the concrete. Today we’ll clarify this misconception so you know exactly how to water and care for it. Why can’t concrete be watered heavily for curing? First sin: Damaging the surface and leaving scars. The concrete has just set, and its surface still lacks strength. High-pressure water is sent upward, washing away the cement slurry and exposing the stones, leaving the surface full of pits and bumps. After some polishing, it’s full of pitting. This is not maintenance; it’s ‘disfiguring’. The second sin: cooling down too quickly; the temperature difference between the inside and outside causes stress on the concrete, which is releasing heat during hydration, with temperatures reaching 50 to 60 degrees. At this point, a large amount of cold water is poured on, causing the surface temperature to drop sharply, while the inside remains hot. One side gets hot and the other cold, creating a temperature difference that causes the surface to contract while the interior expands; this is known as \"thermal shock,\" which leads to direct cracking. It’s worse than not taking care of it at all. Case No. 30, Crime No. 0: Intermittent work with repeated \"thermal shocks\" is even more deadly; some construction sites are even worse: water is applied whenever it occurs to the workers, or no watering takes place for half a day at a time. With the surface being repeatedly exposed to sudden cooling and heating, the concrete contracts and expands over and over again; if cracks form, who else but it could be responsible? How to water properly for proper maintenance? First, connect the hose to the nozzle using a gentle flow rather than a strong jet, or use a sprayer to allow water to trickle over the concrete surface, rather than spraying it with high pressure. The water should flow gently, not crash against things. Keep the surface continuously moist, but avoid it being waterlogged. Second, cover the plants before watering; watering without covering them is pointless. First, cover the concrete surface with a layer of plastic film, then cover it with burlap sacks, straw bags, or quilts, and finally pour water on the covering. Let the water seep in slowly, rather than washing directly over the concrete. It can not only retain moisture but also buffer temperature changes to prevent thermal shock. Third, watering should be done in a steady manner, without fluctuations. During the cultivation period, the covering material must remain moist at all times, with no interruptions. Due to the intermittent watering, its effect is even worse than no watering at all; the surface experiences repeated cycles of dryness and wetness, as well as cold and heat, which in turn leads to an increase in cracks. END maintenance is not taking a bath, but rather a period of rest after childbirth. You need to cover it, apply a gentle watering, control temperature fluctuations, and avoid sudden changes. Heavy watering leads to water waste, damage to the surface, and the formation of cracks – all three problems occur. Saving money on the covering material at the cost of concrete quality – what’s the point?