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https://goodmansonconstruction.com/concrete-curing/

Concrete curing, the hydration of the cement and the reaction between the cement and the water, is an exothermic reaction. Exothermic means it’s a reaction that gives off heat. This is very advantageous to pouring concrete in the cold. Depending on the mix and the additives, concrete starts generating its own heat right away.

The key for the best curing conditions in cold weather keeping the heat in so that the concrete remains at least 50 degrees while it cures.

Why is it so important to maintain proper curing temperature? Because if it gets too cold, the water in the cement will start to freeze and then the cement crystals don’t get hydrated enough and thus the concrete won’t cure properly. That’s bad news all around because if the concrete then dries out, you’ve got a lot of those cement crystals remaining dehydrated. The whole slab will have to be poured again.

We talk about this more in our blog on why concrete costs go up in winter, but suffice to say that the curing compounds in concrete need protection. And we provide that in the form of concrete blankets.

That’s why we put plastic sheets as insulation over the concrete to protect it. Our polystyrene insulation traps all that great exothermic heat in the concrete so that it stays warm enough to cure properly.