Field & trade terms
Curing (concrete)
Curing is the care concrete gets after it's placed and finished: holding moisture in and temperature steady so the cement can keep hydrating and building strength. Concrete doesn't just dry; it reacts, and that reaction needs water and time. Cut the curing short and the surface loses moisture too fast, so the concrete ends up weaker, dustier and more prone to cracking than the mix on paper. Curing is a step, not an afterthought: wet burlap, curing compound, plastic or ponding, kept up for a set period.
Run it with the Photo Gate
Pre-pour concrete checklist
13 items · 23 photos required
Why it matters
The strength on the mix design assumes the concrete was cured; skip it and the slab or wall never reaches that number, no matter what the ticket said. Poor curing shows up later as crazing, scaling and low surface strength that a coating or topping won't fix.
What an inspector looks at
The check is that a curing method actually went on and stayed on for the required time (compound applied evenly, cover kept wet, edges not left to dry out), and that hot or cold weather got the extra protection it needs. It's verified in the days after the pour, not just at placement.
RTI is photo gated, so curing is documented as it happens. The wet cover, compound or protection is shown on the concrete with a timestamp, the proof that the slab was cured and not just poured and walked away from.
Standards it's verified against
Checklists that put curing (concrete) to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Cold jointA weak seam left in concrete when fresh material is placed against a batch that has already started to set, so the two never fully bond.
- Control jointA planned weak line cut or tooled into concrete or masonry so shrinkage cracks form where you want them instead of at random.
- FormworkThe temporary molds and bracing that hold wet concrete in shape and position until it's strong enough to stand on its own.
- Reinforcement (rebar)The steel bar and mesh cast into concrete to carry the tension the concrete can't, placed to a drawing before the pour buries it.
- SheathingThe structural panel skin over studs, rafters or joists that braces the frame and gives cladding, roofing and the barrier a base to attach to.
- UnderlaymentThe layer between structure and finish (under roofing, flooring or tile) that adds water resistance, a smooth base or the right bond surface.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.
30-day trial · No card required