Summary Our Materials Test and Cure Rooms offer reliable, efficient environmental controls for a variety of applications including shelf-life testing and storage, ceramic and concrete wet and dry cure regimens, thermal shock chambers, general, medical and packaging materials. All concrete curing chambers comply with ASTM standards and CCRL (The Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory, a division of ASTM International). Some ASTM standards we conform to are C309-06, C156-05, C511-13, C666, C31, C192. Check out our Material Test Cure Chambers for a variety of different sizes which are ideal for the rigors of precision temperature and humidity control in concrete, asphalt, and related industries. Benefits Nearly unlimited Customizable options. Flexible configurations/room-sizes are modular and reconfigurable. Conformity with standards is assured. Air flow systems are specially engineered to meet the requirement of each individual chamber. With ease, our curing rooms can maintain your desired temperature and humidity, they are the ideal place for curing your cement specimens for further testing. Supplied with LED lights which emit significantly more light per unit of input energy than fluorescent bulbs. They also produce less radiant heat, and with less heat used, the cooling requirement for the controlled environment is diminished and the total energy used by an LED-equipped chamber is substantially reduced. Personnel emergency alarm: illuminated pull to reset push-button (inside room), control panel mounted visual and audible alarm. Includes glow in the dark label and a glow in the dark antimicrobial pull cord that can trigger alarm when pulled, a life saving feature for injured personnel lying on the floor. Introducing the Shipping Container Controlled Environment Room Darwin Chambers offers a game-changing environmental chamber solution that no one else on the market provides. We are extremely excited and proud to bring to the market concrete curing rooms inside mobile shipping containers! These customizable shipping container rooms make it possible to have access to a full-sized, functioning concrete or material test/cure chamber on-site wherever your project is located. These shipping containers are also available as stability rooms. These mobile, full-size material test/cure rooms and stability rooms are available for rent or purchase and Darwin Chambers can take care of transporting the shipping container to your desired job site. Use the shipping container concrete cure room out on a job site or park it outside your regular facility. These incredibly flexible, versatile mobile controlled environment rooms bring the environmental control to you. Shipping container models have all the features and capabilities of regular, permanent material test/cure rooms. Contact us now at (314) 534-3111 or sales@darwinchambers.com to learn more about our shipping container chambers and how they can meet your needs. Features Standard Features Temperature / Humidity Uniformity Conformity with Standards Non-Proprietary Controls Ongoing Sustainability Pre-tested and Pre-charged Refrigeration Systems No Burn Permits Required Remote Monitoring / Alarming Simple Redundancy Options Calibration, Validation and Preventive Maintenance CSA certified control panel (UL equivalent) Optional Features Back-up control / Conditioning Stainless Steel and Special Surfacing Ethernet / Remote Monitoring / Alarming Corrosive Resistant Equipment Humidification and Desiccant Dehumidification, with UVDisinfection Multi-Point Digital Recording 4-6” Foamed Polyurethane Panels Water-Cooled or Air-Cooled Condensers Available Service Agreements Unlimited Door / View Window Sizing Can Accommodate Rapid Cycling 700 lbs/ft2Floor is Standard; High-Load Capacity Available to 5,000 lbs./ft2 Evenly-Distributed Weight High-Density Shelving Systems Touch Screen Control Interface Antimicrobial Coating on door handle to reduce the spread of bacteria and pathogens. The Darwin Advantage All installed instrumentation is calibrated to NIST traceable standards and provided with a calibration form. In-house, factory calibrations are performed using state-of-the-art equipment with great accuracies. These reports are three-point verifications, traceable calibration documents. Downloads Download Brochure Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Material Test/Cure Rooms What Are the Requirements for a Concrete Curing Room? Concrete curing rooms are designed to provide controlled conditions for the curing process of freshly poured concrete. The requirements for a concrete curing room are essential to ensure proper hydration and strength development of the concrete. The key requirements include: Temperature Control: The temperature within the curing room should be maintained within a specified range – typically between 50°F and 75°F (10°C and 24°C) – to ensure proper hydration and curing of the concrete. This could be achieved through heating, cooling, or insulation systems, depending on the ambient conditions and project requirements. Humidity Control: Proper humidity control is essential for preventing moisture loss from the concrete and ensuring ideal uniform curing. The relative humidity (RH) within the curing room should be maintained around 80-90%. Common humidity controls like humidifiers, misting systems, or vapor barriers are typically used to achieve ideal RH levels. Lighting: Lighting within the curing room should be sufficient for visibility and inspection purposes. However, the lights should not generate excessive heat that could affect the curing processes. LEDs or fluorescent lighting options are ideal. Air Circulation: In order to promote uniform curing, and to prevent hot or cold zones from developing within the curing room, air circulation is vital. Make use of ventilation systems, fans, or other air movers. Monitoring & Control Systems: Monitoring systems and control technologies like Virtual Touchscreens-VTS for temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors should be used to guarantee that conditions within the curing room stay within the specified range. Cleanliness: The curing room should be kept clean and free of dirt, debris, contaminants, or anything else that could affect the quality of cured concrete. You can even protect the exterior of the curing room with antimicrobial door handles. Safety Features: The safety of both personnel and equipment is a must for any curing room operation. Features like emergency exits, fire detection and suppression systems, and proper ventilation should be implemented in any plan for a curing room. How Do You Test For Concrete Cure? Testing for concrete cure involves evaluating the degree of hydration and strength development to ensure that the concrete has achieved the desired level of hardness, durability, and performance. Concrete is typically recognized to have reached full strength in 28 days. However, several factors can affect that. The following are common methods for testing concrete cure: Compressive Strength Test: most common testing method, involves subjecting cylindrical or cubic segments to increasing compressive loads until failure occurs Rebound Hammer Test: also known as the Schmidt hammer test, involves impacting the surface of the concrete with a spring-loaded hammer and measuring the rebound distance of the hammer Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity (UPV) Test: measures the speed of ultrasonic pulses transmitted through the concrete to assess its uniformity, density, and homogeneity Penetration Resistance Test: also known as the Windsor probe test, involves driving a steel probe into the concrete surface and measuring the depth to indicate its strength Visual Inspection: should be conducted regularly throughout the curing process, includes looking for surface cracking, crazing, spalling, or discoloration How Do You Know When Concrete is Cured? While concrete continues to gain strength and maturity over time, there are several telltale signs that it has cured, including: Color Change: Freshly poured concrete changes color as it cures and dries. A noticeable change from dark to light is an indicator that the concrete is curing and drying properly. Compressive Strength: Concrete normally achieves its specified compressive strength at certain curing stages – 7, 14, and 28 days – but testing specimens can provide quantitative updates on its strength development and maturity. Hardness & Density: As the hydration process progresses, concrete undergoes chemical reactions that result in the formation of calcium silicate hydrate gel, contributing to its strength and durability. Testing the hardness and density of cured concrete can provide constant updated information on the curing progress. Surface Moisture Content: As concrete cures and moisture evaporates, the surface gradually becomes drier and firmer to the touch. A decrease in surface moisture and an increase in surface hardness are signs that the concrete is curing and approaching maturity. What Are the Standard Curing Conditions? Standard curling conditions for concrete refer to the recommended temperature, humidity, and duration of the process to reach optimal strength, durability, and performance.: Temperature: Recommended temperature range is 50°F and 75°F (10°C and 24°C). Humidity: Recommended relative humidity (RH) range is between 80% and 90%. Duration: This can depend on several factors not dependent on the curing room itself, such as type of concrete mix and project requirements. Generally speaking, concrete should be cured no less than 7 days and up to as many as 28 days.