This is the state-of-the-art report prepared by the RILEM TC “Application of Super Absorbent Polymers (SAP) in concrete construction”. It gives a comprehensive overview of the properties of SAP, specific water absorption and desorption behaviour of SAP in fresh and hardening concrete, effects of the SAP addition on rheological properties of fresh concrete, changes of cement paste microstructure and mechanical properties of concrete. Furthermore, the key advantages of using SAP are described in detail: the ability of this material to act as an internal curing agent to mitigate autogenous shrinkage of high-performance concrete, the possibility to use SAP as an alternative to air-entrainment agents in order to increase the frost resistance of concrete, and finally, the benefit of steering the rheology of fresh cement-based materials. The final chapter describes the first existing and numerous prospective applications for this new concrete additive.

Curing is one of those activities that every civil engineer and construction worker has heard of, but in reality does not worry about much. In practice, curing is often low on the list of priorities on the construction site, particularly when budgets and timelines are under pressure. Yet the increasing demands being placed on concrete mixtures also

Internal curing was used already in the Roman times, for example the famous Pantheon building is done partly with internally cured concrete. The external curing of concrete such as fogging the surface only achieves the surface of the concrete, with internal curing the whole 3-dimensional microstructure of the concrete could be cured. The objective of this thesis was to study the impact of internal curing on compressive strength, tensile/flexural strength and drying shrinkage. The goal was also to determine which grain sizes lightweight aggregates will be the best in internal curing use. In this thesis the internal curing is done with lightweight aggregates. The obtained tests results showed that the best grain size of lightweight aggregates for internal curing are 0-2 mm and 2-4 mm. The usage of these sizes enabled to produce concrete having similar mechanical properties to normal concretes but significantly reduced drying shrinkage.

Introductory technical guidance for civil engineers and construction managers interested in internal curing of portland cement concrete pavement. Here is what is discussed: 1. INTRODUCTION 2. PAVEMENT APPLICATIONS 3. MIXTURE DESIGN FOR INTERNAL CURING 4. CONCRETE PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION ASPECTS OF INTERNALLY CURED CONCRETE 5. PROPERTIES OF INTERNALLY CURED CONCRETE 6. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS 7. SUMMARY 8. REFERENCES.

This book gathers peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 3rd National Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction Management (SECON’19), held in Angamaly, Kerala, India, on 15-16 May 2019. The meeting served as a fertile platform for discussion, sharing sound knowledge and introducing novel ideas on issues related to sustainable construction and design for the future. The respective contributions address various aspects of numerical modeling and simulation in structural engineering, structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, advanced analysis and design of foundations, BIM, building energy management, and technical project management. Accordingly, the book offers a valuable, up-to-date tool and essential overview of the subject for scientists and practitioners alike, and will inspire further investigations and research.