What Does
Wetting Concrete Mean?
Wetting the concrete (soaking it with clean water) is a process to cure and seal the concrete so that it achieves optimum bonding strength. Concrete requires moisture to gain strength. Wetting a concrete structure with pure water helps prevent the moisture from evaporating from the new concrete.
Gaining strength by wetting fresh concrete is also known as concrete curing.
Corrosionpedia Explains Wetting Concrete
It is often observed that when the fresh concrete is poured in civil structures, pure water is sprinkled on it for few days at time intervals. This is called wetting the concrete. The primary reason for this procedure is that the moisture causes chemical reactions, which help the concrete to cure and seal itself from cracks and faults, and protect itself from acidic or corrosive environments. However, with increased temperature, the moisture content in the fresh concrete tends to evaporate. Therefore, periodic wetting or soaking the concrete with pure water is an important step. Preventing evaporation extends the effective curing time and can reduce surface and shrinkage cracks.