Abstract:To clarify the influence of curing regimes on the early strength development of C50 concrete, four curing regimes of standard curing, steam curing, natural curing and water shortage curing are selected for comparative tests. The results show that the curing regimes have a significant impact on early strength development of concrete. At the 3-day age, the compressive strength of the steam curing group reaches a maximum of 52.4 MPa, which is 28.7% and 46.4% higher than that of the standard curing group and the natural curing group, respectively. The strength development of the water shortage curing group lags behind, and the strength at 28 d of age is 84% of that of the standard curing group. The strength at 28 days of age in the steam curing group is similar to that in the standard curing group, while that in the natural curing group is 97% of that in the standard curing group. The steam curing regime can significantly enhance the early strength of concrete without affecting its later strength development. Under the natural curing regime, the early strength of concrete is relatively low, and the water shortage can lead to irreversible loss of strength. It is recommended that the prefabricated components give priority to the steam curing regime. For on-site cast structures, the continuous moisturizing curing is required and interruption is strictly prohibited.