Effect of Curing Methods on Compressive Strength of Pervious Concrete Containing Silica Fume and Calcium Carbonate

Concrete curing plays a critical role in the development of compressive strength, particularly in pervious concrete, which is highly susceptible to moisture loss due to its porous structure. This study investigates the effects of different curing methods on the compressive strength of pervious concrete and examines how the incorporation of silica fume (SF) and calcium carbonate powder (CC) influences the curing sensitivity index (CSI). Experimental results indicate that water curing consistently yields the highest compressive strength across all pervious concrete mixes at 7 and 28 days, followed by plastic and air curing. The presence of silica fume increases CSI, making pervious concrete more dependent on curing conditions, particularly under air curing. In contrast, calcium carbonate powder reduces CSI, enhancing curing efficiency and mitigating sensitivity to curing variations. Notably, a ternary blend of silica fume and calcium carbonate significantly lowers CSI at early ages, indicating improved curing resilience. However, at 28 days, the effect of CC in mitigating curing sensitivity diminishes slightly, while SF continues to increase curing dependency. These findings suggest that optimal curing strategies should be tailored to the binder composition, with calcium carbonate powder proving effective in stabilizing curing sensitivity. The results contribute to developing more durable and sustainable pervious concrete mixes with enhanced performance under variable curing conditions.