Transportation Defined: Curing Compound

No, the photo at right isn’t an example of ADOT’s latest design “statement.” Despite how it might look, the cement is not being painted a pale pink hue.

What’s being sprayed on the concrete pavement is a curing compound. It goes on pink so crews can see where it has been applied, but it dries clear.

This curing compound is sprayed on to prevent moisture from evaporating from the freshly placed concrete. It creates a kind of membrane that keeps the water in so the concrete can properly cure to its intended level of strength/hardness (you might remember that we’ve blogged before about the number of factors that can have an impact on concrete pavement).

Once the concrete has properly cured, the compound is sandblasted off portions of the road that will be painted (lane stripes, retaining walls, etc.) because it leaves behind a slight buildup that makes it difficult for paint to adhere.

Transportation Defined is a series of explanatory blog posts designed to define the things you see on your everyday commute. Let us know if there's something you'd like to see explained ... leave a comment here on the blog or over on our Facebook page!