Effect of Curing Duration on Bridge Deck Concrete Performance

Authors

• Zhaniya Omarova, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Jiong Hu

Committee Members

George Morcous, Yumeng Zhao

Date of this Version

4-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science

Major: Civil Engineering

Under the supervision of Professor Jiong Hu

Lincoln, Nebraska, April 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Zhaniya Omarova. Used by permission

Abstract

This study evaluates the influence of curing duration on the performance of bridge deck concrete and investigates the feasibility of reducing curing periods without compromising structural and durability properties. Two concrete mixtures, a standard Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) bridge deck mix (47BD) and an optimized reduced-cement-content mix (O47BD-R100), were evaluated under multiple curing durations Fresh, early-age, mechanical, durability, and shrinkage properties were assessed to characterize the effect of curing on concrete behavior. Internal relative humidity and temperature were monitored using embedded sensors to investigate moisture diffusion and its role in shrinkage development for lab specimens and full-scale slabs.

Results indicate that moderate reductions in curing duration do not significantly affect compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, or chloride ion permeability for either mixture. However, more aggressive reductions in curing duration increase shrinkage, particularly for the standard 47BD mixture, whereas the O47BD-R100 mixture exhibits lower shrinkage due to its reduced cement content. Existing shrinkage prediction models, including ACI 209, AASHTO LRFD, and B3, were evaluated and found to capture general trends but underestimate shrinkage magnitude and show limited sensitivity to curing duration.

An internal RH-informed shrinkage model was developed, incorporating time-dependent behavior, internal relative humidity, specimen geometry, and spatial location effects. The model achieved NRMSE values of 5.7–8.9% for laboratory specimens and 2.7–5.4% for full-scale slabs, demonstrating improved predictive accuracy over conventional models.

Overall, the findings indicate that curing duration for bridge deck concrete can be moderately reduced without adversely affecting performance and that internal relative humidity is a key parameter governing shrinkage behavior.

Advisor: Jiong Hu