Internet of Concrete for Optimal Curing

Improper curing is one of the causes that has reduced the lifespan of several concrete structures and necessitated extensive costly repairs. The manual water curing is still a popular method, especially in developing countries with hot climates. However, using this method, it is extremely difficult to achieve effective curing and ensure long-term strength and durability. It also has an adverse impact on the aesthetics of the concrete surface and is both uneconomical and labor intensive. This work presents a conceptual design of an Internet of Concrete (IoC) based automatic water curing system for concrete. It consists of three layers: cyber-physical, edge and cloud. The cyber-physical layer includes multiple distributed embeddable wireless temperature and relative humidity sensors, a smart water valve, water sprinklers, and the concrete element. At the edge layer, sensor data will be stored, analyzed, and processed in real time closer to the data source for faster response. Long-term data for future concrete durability studies will be stored in the cloud layer. The proposed system replenishes the concrete with the exact amount of water needed to properly cure the concrete without the use of manpower, ensuring economical curing, optimal strength, and long-term durability. The system also has several advantages beyond providing optimal curing.