New York Department of Transportation
Project #D-260572
Route 9W South
Lloyd, NY

LLOYD, NY – TWAALFSKILL BRIDGE – (August 2008)

Description: Phase I of a 2 year project on NYS Route 9W requires the construction of a new, wider more sustainable structure to accommodate higher vehicular traffic.

Due to positive test results from extensive research, HydroCure^® was selected based on its ability to minimize cracking in the High Performance Concrete (HPC) deck. Its use improves on all the characteristics of concrete. This is accomplished by substituting a small amount HydroCure^® for some of the natural sand in a yard of concrete.

Preparing The Pour: HydroCure^® was delivered the day prior to the pour and placed/stored in an aggregate hopper. The absorbed aggregate moisture was tested prior to batching and reported as 20%.

Physical Properties of Concrete:
PCF - Plastic Unit Weight: Between 27.5 and 28.0
Slump - After the addition of high range water reducer: 4”
Air Content: 6.5%
14 - Day Break 6x12 inch cylinders: 5200PSI
28 - Day Break: 7800PSI

Curing Process: Curing is described by the American Concrete Institute (Footnote: ACI Committee 308, "Standard Practice for Curing Concrete" (ACI 308), American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich.) as the maintenance of a satisfactory moisture content and temperature in concrete during its early stages so that desired properties may develop. In 2003, ACI gave Committee 308 the goal of developing requirements for High-Performance Concrete (HPC). For HPC, these desirable properties include: early age and later age compressive strength, flexural strength, shrinkage, cracking, creep, freeze-thaw resistance, deicer resistance, permeability, and abrasion resistance. For the past 5 years the Committee has been preparing a report on Internal Curing to improve on all their characteristics.

Curing methods can be divided into three categories: those providing the addition of water from the outside, those that prevent or retard the loss of moisture and those that provide water from the inside. Old methods use ponding, spraying, or the use of saturated covering materials such as burlap or cotton mats. The prevention of excessive water loss from the concrete by means of materials such as sheets of plastic or curing compounds generally are not appropriate for HPC, which is proven to have outrageous shrinkage.

The Internal Curing provided by water absorptive HydroCure^®, supplies water from inside instead of the outside as conventional curing does. Internal Curing is the 21st century method. HydroCure^®, an absorbent lightweight aggregate sand (LWAS), provides water from the instant the concrete is mixed and the water comes into contact with the cement. HPC with Internal Curing is a curing method that provides a continuous application of water to the concrete mixture. The reasons are: (1) water is so fluid, (2) the capillary actions within the hydrating cement parste are so strong and (3) the thirst (water demand) of the cement is so intense. The internal water provides hydration of the cement where the mixing water and external water do not. The curing method should be designed into the project. With Internal Curing, the curing of concrete becomes an integral part of the production process and not a necessary evil after the concrete is placed. Internal Curing provides a process to overcome rushing at the close of a construction day.

According to Tod Fancher, Superintendent of Harrison and Burrows, “the deck on this bridge finished better than any other he has ever been on. The finish looks great; there are no cracks. NYS DOT is very happy with the finished product.”

Contact Information:

Cranesville Block – Kingston Plant
William Cobey, Sales Representative
Jim Lattrel, Plant Manager
Steve Dow, Engineer
www.cranesville.com

Harrison & Burrows
Robert Keller
Todd Fancher - Superintendent

New York State DOT
Don Streeter

Northeast Solite Corporation
HydroCure^®
Ralph Acampora, Sr. Sales Engineer