http://www.stanleytools.com/xhtml/p_concrete.htm

Curing Means Taking Steps To Keep The Concrete Under The Right Temperature And Moisture Conditions During The First Few Days Of Hardening After Placement. Proper Curing Is Vital Because The Concrete Will Eventually Be Much Harder And Stronger If It Is Cured Correctly.

Hydration. The Hardening Of Concrete Is Not A Drying Process, But Rather The Result Of A Chemical Reaction Between The Finely Ground Portland Cement Particles And The Water In The Mix. This Reaction Is Known As Hydration. Like Most Chemical Reactions, Hydration Is Greatly Influenced By Temperature. The Basic Idea Behind Proper Curing Is To Allow This Reaction To Continue As Long As Practical By Maintaining A Suitable Curing Temperature, Usually 50°F To 90°F, And By Keeping The Concrete Wet. If The Temperature Of The Concrete Drops Below 50°F, Hydration Begins To Slow, And If The Water In The Mix Freezes, The Concrete Will Be Ruined. Also, If Too Much Water Escapes From The Concrete, Hydration Will Stop Altogether. The Longer Favorable Conditions Are Maintained, The Longer The Concrete Will Cure, Resulting In A Better Product.

You can keep a slab wet with a continuous water spray, such as a lawn sprinkler. This provides the moisture necessary for the slab surface to properly cure, and cools the slab to slow evaporation during hot weather. However, you have to keep an eye on things, which isn't always practical. I remember one time when a homeowner came home and helpfully turned off the sprinkler, thinking that the contractor had forgotten about it. The slab dried out and curing stopped.

[ik heb al die hoofdletters niet verzonnen ;-)]

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Note added at 10 hrs (2015-03-06 20:11:15 GMT)
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http://www.masterss.be/beton_toepassing_curing_verwijderen.h...

"Curing" is een engelse benaming voor het pakket aan beschermende maatregelen die ervoor zorg moeten dragen dat binnen en aan de top van de verse betonmassa een juiste temperatuur en vochtinhoud wordt behouden tijdens het hydratatieproces.

Hydratatie is de chemische reactie van water met cementachtige materialen terwijl het beton hardt en sterkte ontwikkelt. (Dus zonder voldoende water, geen goede hydratatie! Wist U dat beton zelfs onder water uithardt?)

Zolang als er niet-gehydrateerd cement, water en gunstige temperaturen aanwezig zijn, zal beton verder hydrateren en aan sterkte winnen.