Introduction
Cement based construction industry plays a vital role in infrastructure development of a country. Cement concrete is the backbone material of construction industry. Water plays an important role in the production of cement concrete as it governs hydration of cement, workability, microstructure, strength and overall durability of concrete. Hydration of cement is exothermic reaction therefore; proper curing is required to achieve desired strength and durability. Durability of concrete is one of the most important properties of sustainable concrete. Curing plays a major role in developing microstructure and pore structure of concrete, which ultimately governs its important properties. Water used for manufacturing as well as curing of concrete should be clean and free from oils, acids, alkalis, salts, organic materials and any substances which hamper the hydration process, strength and durability of concrete. Potable tap water is commonly used for the preparation as well as curing of concrete.
Worldwide more than 1 billion tonnes of water is used for the production of concrete annually1. In addition to this, water is further needed for curing of concrete up to the specified period of time. The availability of drinking water across the globe is very limited and its importance needs not to be overemphasized. Therefore, optimum use of water in the production of concrete may be one of the ways to contribute towards the sustainable construction of infrastructure. Magnetized water (MW) seems to have some potential for saving in amount of water needed for concrete production in comparison with commonly used potable water.
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