THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO

Concrete
Maturity
Copyright © 2021 Giatec Scientific Inc.
All rights reserved.

Authors: Alicia Hearns, Eric Yee

Editors: Sarah De Carufel, Andrew Fahim, Jaden Texeira, Pouria Ghods, Aali Alizadeh
Design and Layout: Katie Roepke

Global Headquarters
245 Menten Place, Suite 300
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K2H 9E8

[email protected]
www.giatec.ca
CONTENTS
Introduction to Maturity........................................................................................................................................5
So, How Exactly Does Maturity Work? And Why Is It Important? ............................................................. 6
Cylinders Vs. Maturity..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Setting Up Maturity........................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Calibration Test Procedure......................................................................................................................................................... 9
What About Standards?................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Economic Benefits................................................................................................................................................. 10

Monitoring System.................................................................................................................................................13
Different Types of Concrete Temperature Sensors and Maturity Meters............................................. 14
Concrete Thermocouple............................................................................................................................................................ 15
Wired Concrete Temperature and Maturity Loggers...........................................................................................16
Wired Concrete Sensors with External Wireless Transmitter....................................................................... 17
Fully Embedded Wireless Concrete Sensors............................................................................................................18

Installation Guidelines for Wireless Maturity Sensors.................................................................... 19

Frequently Asked Questions........................................................................................................................... 22

Case Studies..............................................................................................................................................................26
Sundt Construction, Inc. San Diego, California ......................................................................................................27
PCL Construction, Edmonton, Alberta ..........................................................................................................................28
Graham Construction Calgary, Canada ........................................................................................................................29
S&F Concrete Contractors Hudson, Massachusetts ......................................................................................... 30

References..................................................................................................................................................................31
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

THE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CONCRETE MATURITY

A major challenge facing commercial construction projects is knowing when the concrete you’ve poured
is strong enough to continue on to the next stage of your project. Delays caused by inaccurate or slow
strength testing can lead to extra time and money being required to complete these projects.

So, How Do We Measure Concrete Strength?

4 For the most part, the construction industry measures concrete strength the same way it has for the last
half a century, by pouring concrete into small cylinder (or cube) samples alongside its massive pours
(think the floor of an office building).

These cylinders filled with concrete are called field cured samples and they are supposed to mimic the
development of strength of the massive slab of concrete you just poured. So, throughout the first week
after you have poured your concrete, you would take your samples to a lab to test its strength.

If the tests say that the concrete of your cylinder has reached 75% of the concrete mix’s designed
strength, you are good to go to remove formwork and proceed with the next phase of the project. If not,
you continue waiting and testing more cylinders until that threshold has been reached.

The problem with these kinds of tests is that they are time consuming and, more importantly, not
necessarily accurate.

These field-cured concrete cylinders are often stored haphazardly, like under a tarp in the corner of a
jobsite. Concrete gains strength over time based on a number of factors like the weather conditions its
exposed to. The elements and variables that a massive slab of concrete endures is very different than
the small sample of concrete in your cylinder.

Just imagine we are on a jobsite and it’s snowing all over our newly poured apartment building floor
while our sample of concrete is warm and snug under a tarp next to a heater. This sample will not give
us an accurate idea of how strong our mass pour of concrete is, which could lead project engineers to
remove formwork and proceed onto the next stage of the project before it is safe to do so. Moving on to
the next phase of a project too soon can compromise the safety and durability of a structure.

There are, luckily, some alternative ways to measure how strong concrete is without having to use
cylinder samples. The Maturity method is one of the alternatives quickly gaining popularity due to its
ability to accurately measure in-place concrete strength, simplicity and variety of advanced technology
solutions in the market.
 01
Introduction
to Maturity
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

INTRODUCTION TO MATURITY
The maturity method is one of the easiest and most straightforward ways to predict the early-age
strength of concrete because of the fact that concrete strength is directly related to the hydration
temperature of concrete’s cementitious paste.

Using the maturity method may address many of the challenges of the concrete industry, particularly
knowing when to remove formwork and to perform post-tensioning, this is especially important at low
temperatures where strength gain is slowed. It can also be used to create better mix designs and curing
conditions.
6 So, How Exactly Does Maturity Work? And Why Is It Important?
This approach takes into consideration that maturity is linearly dependent on temperature and can
simply be represented by the area below the temperature curve. In this approach, the area under
the temperature curve is taken as the difference between the average recorded temperature and the
datum temperature (Td). The datum temperature is defined as the temperature at which the hydration
of the cement stops, in other words, the temperature at which concrete stops developing strength.

Figure 1: Depiction of the maturity concept

In other words, the key to understanding the maturity method is that the mix design of the poured
concrete has the same strength as its ‘maturity index.’ So, a concrete mix design may reach the same
strength after 7 days of curing at 50°F (10°C) as it would at 73°F (23°C) for 3 days.

While curing, concrete creates heat during the process of cement hydration which gets trapped in the
concrete. The high temperatures help it cure, or gain strength, faster. The maturity method uses the
differences in the temperature to estimate strength gain.

Without having accurate information, contractors will often wait too long to move onto the next phase
of the project which delays the project, or they move on too early which can result in cracking and
structural issues.
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
This is where field cured cylinders run into issues. They are smaller in surface area, so the heat leaves
them quickly which slows down how fast the concrete gains strength compared to the large slab of
concrete you just poured. This means that the strength of the field cylinders is often less than the slab. So,
while you’re waiting for a break test to tell you that you’re good to go, using maturity you might see that
you already made your strength target 8 hours earlier, for example, and could have already moved on
to stripping formwork.

7
While estimating the strength of concrete is great for a project’s
timeline and budget it can also reduce CO2 emissions by
optimizing concrete mix designs.

That’s why being able to accurately estimate your concrete strength can help you save time, money,
and the environment.
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

INTRODUCTION TO MATURITY
Cylinders Vs. Maturity
Still not sure if you want to ditch field-cured cylinders and make the switch to concrete maturity? Here
are some other ways cylinder testing compare to sensors that utilize maturity:

8 Break Test VS Maturity Test

Destructive Test Non-Destructive Test

Test Procedure
• Information is gathered through the casting of • Information is gathered by embedded sensors
cylinders taken from the pour and crushed in a recording temperature and strength.
compression machine.
• Data is logged and/or retrieved by external
• Testing time could be too early or too late device in real-time.

• ASTM C39 • ASTM C1074

Reliability
• Results may be affected by improperly prepared, • The data is logged without interruption, so the
handled, and/or tested cylinders. results are generally more consistent.

• Cylinders have small volumes but large surface • The maturity method predicts the actual in-place
areas so they retain less heat which results in low strength of concrete.
breaks.
• It can show local variation in strength for
• Temperature history for cylinders may differ due different structural locations.
to curing conditions causing a different rate of
strength gain which results in low or high breaks.

Speed
• Takes time to send samples to the lab and delay • Strength results are collected in real-time.
to receive results from the lab.

Cost
• Technician cost to cast, collect, deliver, test, and • Up to 50% direct test cost saving for determination
repeat the results. of in-place strength of concrete done by on-site
people.
• Additional labour costs due to uncertainty in
project scheduling resulted from delays in getting • Up to $10,000 labor saving as a result of more
the lab report. accurate job-site planning for each floor of a
high-rise building.
• Extra financing cost due to late completion time
in projects. • Significant financial saving as a result of early
completion of the project. The actual saving varies
depending on the size of the project.

Table 1: Break test vs. maturity test

 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
Setting Up Maturity
To get started with maturity you must use one of three different equations to calculate the maturity
of concrete. We won’t explore each of them in depth in this book, but you can find more information
on these calculations on Giatec’s website or the comprehensive Concrete Maturity eBook. The three
equations are:

• The temperature-time factor (most popular)

• The equivalent Age

9
• The weighted maturity

These calculations and equations may sound complicated and to a degree they are. However, many of
the maturity tools and solutions on the market today like Giatec’s SmartRock™ sensor will do most of the
heavy lifting, so you don’t have to bust out your calculator to figure these out.

Calibration Test Procedure

The maturity method does require you to pre-calibrate each specific concrete mixture before it can
be used in the maturity equation to calculate the real-time strength gain of your concrete. Something
called a maturity calibration curve is developed for each specific mix design through this process. Once
this is done you can then accurately measure your concrete strength gain in the field.

This calibration is done in a lab and can later be used to determine the field cured cylinders concrete
strength. For more details on the maturity calibration process, take a look at Giatec’s Concrete Maturity
eBook.

What About Standards?

The maturity method is widely standardized and accepted by building codes. If a country doesn’t say
anything about maturity, they usually follow ASTM standards, which maturity meets. If you want a full list
of standards for maturity, you can find them on the Giatec website.
 02
Economic
Benefits
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Using the maturity method can results in significant economic benefits to both large and small projects.
We’ve gone over many of the benefits in earlier chapters, but the main advantage of the maturity
method is to save time by performing critical operations like removing formwork, post tensioning, and
opening pavement to traffic in a more efficient and timely manner.

Time is money
11
While there is upfront cost in buying maturity sensors and doing the calibration, there are more long
term cost savings by using the maturity method. The table below shows a breakdown of the upfront
costs of using the maturity method and the possible cost savings on a project.

Note: prices and quantity of maturity sensors can vary so we use an average below. The cost of
cylinders and site operations can change based on location and the type of project.
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

ECONOMIC BENEFITS

12

The example above uses typical average values, and the cost
savings were rounded down. You should look at finding your
own ROI to see just how much the maturity method can save
you on your own project. In this example, if you were to save
one day – the maturity method already pays for itself.
 03
Monitoring
System
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

MONITORING SYSTEM
So, the maturity method sounds like the solution to many problems and has a ton of advantages.
What different methods are available to monitor maturity?

Different Types of Concrete Temperature Sensors and Maturity Meters

When it comes to the choice of concrete temperature or maturity measurement sensors and equipment,
14 contractors have many options to select from based on the cost, accuracy, and ease of use, and
of course how all these considerations would fit their project needs and budget. The measurement
systems available in the market are as follows:

• Thermocouples

• Wired Temperature and Maturity Loggers

• Wired Concrete Sensors with External Wireless Transmitter

• Fully Embedded Wireless Concrete Sensors

Each of these temperature/maturity monitoring systems have

their own advantages and disadvantages and it is important
for contractors to review these before developing their thermal
control plan in order to maximize their return on investment.
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
Concrete Thermocouple
A concrete thermocouple consists of two wires of different metals connected and twisted together
at one end to form an electrical junction. External equipment is used to measure the concrete
temperature.

Pros: 
15
• Expensive (about $1/ft)

• Can be cut into custom lengths

• Unit can be connected to a computer to download and analyze data

Cons: 

• Wires need to be connected to external equipment at all times or data will be lost

• Wires need to be carefully labelled

• Collected data must be analyzed by an individual

• Measurement accuracy is low with a standard error limit of 4 degrees (ASTM C1064 requires an
accuracy of 1.0°F or 0.5°C)1

• Time-consuming to cut the wires, attach them to the plugs, and setup in the field

• Thin wires are prone to cuts and damages, resulting in lost data

• Wires and external equipment need to be protected

Figure 2: Concrete thermocouple embedded in concrete with logger

The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

MONITORING SYSTEM
Wired Concrete Temperature and Maturity Loggers
These loggers have an electronic circuit board that contains a coin-size battery with an onboard
thermistor for temperature measurement. The measurements are recorded and stored on this circuit
board at pre-defined intervals. The whole circuit board is completely sealed with a connector wire
coming out to download the measurements using an external device as needed.

16 Pros: 

• External equipment does not need to be connected at all times

• External unit not exposed to potential damage

• External wires are more rugged

Cons: 

• External wires are bulky and difficult to install

• Data needs to be downloaded and analyzed by an individual

• External logger is always turned on, resulting in limited shelf-life

• Wires must be carefully labelled for identification

• Wires are subject to damage onsite

Figure 3: Temperature sensor in concrete with data logger

 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
Wired Concrete Sensors with External Wireless Transmitter
These external units are connected to the end of the wires coming out of concrete to store and transfer
the temperature measurements over a wireless network either:

• To a computer connected to internet

• To a local wireless hub or gateway that then transfers data to cloud

• Directly to cloud through networks such as LTE or Sigfox 17

Pros: 

• No need to connect an external device

• Can download data offsite

• Data analysis can be done automatically on the cloud

• Custom alerts and notifications can be sent to smartphones

Cons: 

• Wires are prone to cuts

• Wireless unit prone to damage

• System involving wires, external transmitter, and hub is challenging to install

• Remote jobsites with no cell network connection cannot use this system

Figure 4: Wired sensor embedded in concrete with external transmitter

The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

MONITORING SYSTEM
Fully Embedded Wireless Concrete Sensors
These are self-contained wireless concrete
sensors and loggers that are fully embedded in
the concrete. The temperature measurements
are stored on the sensor. The recorded data
can then be download from the sensor through

18
various wireless communication protocols such as
Bluetooth LE, LoRa, Zigbee, or Wi-Fi onto a smart
device.

Pros: 

• Data on maturity and strength is

automatically updated in mobile app

• Data transmitted to the cloud through the

cell network

• With a local hub system data can be

collected without being onsite
Figure 5: Wireless sensor
• System is not prone to any potential damage
after pouring

• Data is securely held on the sensor

• Installation and data collection process are

simple and fast

• No external units need to be protected

• Temperature differentials are easily obtained

from each sensor

Cons: 

• Initial purchase cost is high

• Sensors must be placed no more than a

couple inches below the concrete

Figure 6: Fully-embedded wireless sensor with remote transmitter

 04
Installation
Guidelines
for Wireless
Maturity
Sensors
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

INSTALLATION GUIDELINES FOR WIRELESS MATURITY

SENSORS
Once your calibration and validation are complete, you can install your sensors to begin monitoring in-
place strength. None of the standards tell you where to install them, ASTM C1074 does say:

“In building construction, exposed portions of slabs and slab-

20 column connections are typically critical locations. The advice
of the engineer should be sought for critical locations in the
particular structure under construction.”2

We’ll provide some pointers on where the best place is to position your sensors and the number of them
you may need. One thing to keep in mind is that sensor locations with cooler temperatures will have
decreased strength.

ACI 228 1R, Chapter 5 does give guidelines that one maturity meter is installed every 20 yd3 (15 m3) but
this may be overly conservative. With maturity meant to replace field-cured cylinders, we recommend
following the same minimum requirement of one maturity meter per 1/150yd3 (100 m3)3,4. Throughout
the industry we do see most applications use one maturity sensor per 1/100yd3 (75 m3), using two
sensors per pour. Depending on the volume of the pour you may need more sensors to measure it.

Figure 7: SmartRock wireless maturity sensor

 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
When it comes to installing the sensors, engineers should look at three questions:

1. Where are the critical weather locations on the structural element?

Critical weather locations are usually the coldest and most exposed area to environmental conditions
(rain, wind, etc.). Concrete will typically be colder at the corners and edges where there is less mass
effect and more exposure.

2. What is the pour schedule? 21

Pours can take several hours, which means the concrete poured at the beginning and end may have
different strengths – since the hydration process starts at different times. In these scenarios a distribution
of sensors over the pour schedule can help track average strength gain. You should definitely put a
sensor in where the pour finishes as that area is likely to have the lowest strength.

3. Where are the structurally critical locations?

You want your concrete to gain strength in all the critical locations before you move your project onto
the next phase. These critical locations can vary based on the type of project. We will get into those in
the next section.

Main Applications

Different projects may require different placement locations for maturity sensors. Below are some of the
most common project types that have benefitted from using maturity sensors. For a comprehensive look
at optimal placement locations for these projects, check out Giatec’s Concrete Maturity eBook.

Common Projects Utilizing Maturity Sensors

• 1-way/2-way Slabs

• Post Tensioning

• Mass Concrete

• Vertical Elements

• Pavement

• Modulus of Elasticity (MoE)

• Precast

• Tilt-Up

• Shotcrete
Figure 8: Workers on a jobsite performing a tilt-up application
 05
Frequently
Asked
Questions
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What Can Affect the Maturity Calibration?
The maturity calibration is associated with a specific mix design and takes into consideration its
properties. As a rule of thumb, any changes in the mix design will have a direct impact on the
calibration; however, it is unrealistic to assume that all concrete batches will be equal to the one used for
the calibration. Therefore, it is commonly accepted that any changes in the concrete chemistry will have
a direct impact on the maturity calibration (i.e. accelerators, retarders, change in the type of cement,
supplementary cementing materials, etc.).

To check and analyze if a factor will affect the maturity calibration, one can ask: ‘Would this adjustment
23
in my mix change the strength data at given ages?’ or ‘Recently my producer made a small revision
to the mix, should I submit the mix for reapproval?’ and ‘Would this modification in my mix change the
temperature of my concrete?’. At any point where the temperature or the strength profile is affected, the
mix should be recalibrated.

Is the Calibration Still Valid if There Is Additional Water or Air Added to the
Mix?
A calibration is specific to the mixture design with specific properties. If you change the materials or
mixtures, you need to calculate a new calibration curve.

In real-world scenarios, additional water or air content can occur in mixtures so you can’t assume that
mix used for calibration is the exact same as the one on the jobsite. This is why you should use the
cylinders from the jobsite to produce your calibration. You can also build a calibration curve with a mix
with slightly higher w/cm and air content that still meeting the project specifications. This adds some
safety margins to the calibration.

Is the Calibration Still Valid if Retarders or Accelerators Are Added to the

Mix?
Retarders delay the setting time, which will affect the rate of strength development, shifting hydration to
a later time. Accelerators will speed up the setting time and strength gain. Both can affect the strength
properties of concrete, especially at an early age. When doing your maturity calibration, the retarders or
accelerators need to be incorporated into the mix.

How Long Is the Calibration Valid For?

The calibration is valid until an element from the mix is changed. You should validate periodically – on
or before critical operations. When you validate, if the differences constantly exceed 10% you should
develop a new maturity calibration.
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What Are the Differences Between Results From Field-Cured Specimens and
the In-Place Strength of Concrete?
When using only concrete cylinders to check the strength results of the in-place concrete, one does not
take into consideration the real behaviour of the concrete element. The volume in a concrete element
is much greater than in a concrete cylinder, generating more heat and, therefore, strength gain.
Furthermore, concrete samples have a bigger relative surface compared to its volume, meaning that

24
the capability of retaining heat is smaller than a concrete structure.

Maturity helps to identify and measure critical locations in the real concrete structure. For example, due
to external factors, a slab can have different strength developments in different locations, which is also
affected by weather conditions. Also, the last-placed concrete is the last to start developing strength;
therefore, this location will generally have lower initial results if compared to the first concrete placed,
where the hydration process is further ahead.

Illustrated below we can find an example of time savings based on the strength obtained through
different methods, where the same concrete was exposed to different curing conditions.

Figure 9: Time saved in days using the maturity method compared to

field-cured and lab-cured cylinders
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
As observed above, the in-situ concrete achieved the required strength roughly within half the time
the lab-cured cylinder achieved the same strength. This time difference can be crucial to a job site
schedule. In cold weather condition the opposite might also be true where the structural element can
be under colder temperature than the field cured and the lab condition.

I Have an Early Age Mix, How Should I Build My Maturity Calibration Curve?
A calibration is always specific to a mix design and choosing the break schedule that best reflects 25
the critical operations on-site is very important. ASTM C1074 states that, unless specified otherwise,
compression tests must be done at ages of 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. However, since maturity is most
commonly used for early age strength prediction having more breaks at the initial stages of the strength
progression is fundamental. As a baseline to achieve good accuracy in the maturity curve, one can
assume 2 break points before the critical operation and 2 break points after, being the critical operation
the center data point.2

For instance, if the critical operation for stressing cables in a post-tensioned slab is 4,000 psi (27.5 MPa)
within 24 hours, it is important to develop the strength-maturity relationship in the first hours. In this
example, one could correlate the maturity with the strength at 12 hours, 18 h, 24 h, 3 days, and 7 days,
as the objective is to accurately estimate the initial strength. ASTM C1074 asks for a minimum of 5 data
points but, if desired, more data points at earlier or later ages can be included for higher accuracy.

Are There Any Imitations to the Maturity Method?

While maturity is one of the most accurate tests to determine in-place strength, it uses some
assumptions, so there are limitations. You can find a full list of limitations of the Maturity Method on
Giatec’s website.
 06
Case
Studies
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
Sundt Construction, Inc. San Diego, California
In 2019, Field Engineer, Jackie Odom and Project Manager, Dinesh Allam, began work on a 3-million-
gallon underground storm water containment reservoir for the San Diego International Airport. The
main requirement of this project was to ensure long-term durability of the concrete structure as being
underground meant it would be exposed to sea water. Due to the exposure class during its service
life, the 25-foot underground structure required that the reinforced concrete walls have a thickness of
2-8 feet. The concrete had a very high cement content and had very strict crack requirements. This led
to a possibility of getting high internal concrete temperatures as the walls are considered to be mass
concrete elements.

On this project, both the short cables 12 in (30 cm) and long cables 10 ft (3 m) that Giatec’s SmartRock
offers were used in order to capture the highest temperature at the center of the concrete and the
27
lowest temperature near the surface of the concrete. The sensors allowed the team more flexibility in
terms of the installation location of where the temperature of the in-place concrete could be measured.
Overall, the consistent temperature monitoring made it possible to optimize the cooling requirements of
the concrete. This allowed for a 40% savings in cooling material on this project.

“I find the gradient analysis feature is extremely helpful

because before that feature, we would have to do it in our
own spreadsheets and manipulate it. So, having that and
having it convert into the CSV file and the PDF saved me a
lot of time.”
Jackie Odom, Field Engineer, Sundt Construction Inc.
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

PCL Construction, Edmonton, Alberta

With its 66 stories above and 4 underground, at 823 ft (250.8 m) Stantec Tower in the Ice-District in
downtown Edmonton, Alberta, is the tallest building in Western Canada and one of the largest mixed-
use projects in Canada. “The project started with the 4-story underground parkade.  Its construction
was to be a test case for the SmartRock value proposition,” says Myke Badry, Operations Manager, PCL
Construction. If successful, SmartRock was to be used for optimizing concrete testing during construction
of the above-ground 66 stories of the building.  Consulting engineers were also onboard with this plan.

Some of the benefits expected for SmartRock to produce were to allow for savings on purchasing a
smaller amount of formwork.  “SmartRock delivered!  It saved time, ½ a day per cycle of pouring for
28 the four floors of the parkade. It also brought about savings from purchasing less formwork.  Most
importantly, it provided confidence that the formwork can be stripped on a particular schedule, without
worries,” says Badry. When square footage per floor changed from 25,000 square feet to 14,000 and
concrete placement could be poured in 1 section, the team got each section down to a consistent 4-day
schedule.  Why? 

“Because SmartRock readings were so accurate and to the

minute.  As a result, we were able to build the towers 4 months
ahead of schedule!”
Myke Badry, Operations Manager, PCL Construction
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
Graham Construction Calgary, Canada
Frank Hoffmann, Superintendent at Graham Construction, ran a side-by-side comparison of regular
thermocouples and Giatec’s wireless SmartRock concrete sensors for real-time temperature monitoring
during the construction of a $130 million, 350,000 square foot transit facility for the city of Edmonton.

The switch to Giatec’s technology came about from a frustration with the inefficiencies of
thermocouples, such as wires which were prone to damage, and the need for expensive data loggers
to collect and read results which were time-consuming and labor-intensive. With the ability of the
SmartRock sensor to provide the most accurate in-situ concrete temperature and maturity data,
it consistently achieved a 90% accuracy in maturity-based strength estimation when compared to
standard concrete cylinder breaks. 29
“It was very easy and self-explanatory. No need even for
training. It took me 30 minutes to install 10 sensors. Anyone
on my jobsite could do it.”
Frank Hoffmann, Superintendent, Graham Construction

As a result, Hoffmann was able to cut costs due to the elimination of the need for a technician to visit
the jobsite every eight hours to plug into each and every thermocouple, record the temperatures, and
go back to the office to save and analyze the data. Furthermore, time was saved through the use of the
SmartRock app and its’ ability to share data automatically.
The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity

S&F Concrete Contractors Hudson, Massachusetts

During the construction of the 28-story Wynn Hotel and Casino in Boston, Massachusetts, S&F Concrete
Contractors needed an accurate temperature monitoring system that would also be able to provide
reliable concrete strength data.

Project manager Steve Pirrello saw promise in Giatec’s SmartRock sensors and their ability to accurately
measure concrete maturity and strength, without the hassle of time-consuming lab testing and concrete
cylinder breaks.

Before any work started, the project engineers ran tests comparing the SmartRock sensor data to the
30 results of the cylinder breaks. Repeatedly, they found that the maturity meters provided similar, if not
more accurate results, than the lab break tests. As such, the engineers felt confident enough to eliminate
early break tests. The S&F team noted that they were more comfortable relying on the sensor readings,
rather than concrete cylinders, which they found had too many variables and inaccuracies. Relying
solely on SmartRock sensor data, the S&F team was able to schedule tensioning of slabs within an hour
of the concrete achieving the required strength, instead of waiting a minimum of 24 hours for break test
results.

“Once the sensors were set up, we didn’t look back.”

Steve Pirrello, Project Manager, S&F Concrete Contractors
 The Beginner’s Guide to Concrete Maturity
REFERENCES
1 ASTM C1064, Standard Test Method for Temperature of Freshly Mixed Hydraulic-
Cement Concrete, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2017,
www.astm.org.
2 ASTM C1074-17, Standard Practice for Estimating Concrete Strength by the
Maturity Method, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2011,
www.astm.org.
3 CSA Standard A23.1-14/A23.2 -14, Concrete materials and Methods of Concrete 31
Construction/ Test Methods and Standard Practices for Concrete, Canadian
Standard Association, 2014.
4 ACI Committee 318-14, Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and
Commentary. American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, Michigan, 2014.
Giatec is a global company revolutionizing the
construction industry by bringing smart testing
technologies and real-time data collection to the
forefront of every jobsite. Giatec’s suite of hardware
& software products has leveraged advanced
technologies such as; Artificial Intelligence (AI),
and Internet of Things (IoT), including; wireless
concrete sensors, mobile apps, and advanced non-
destructive technologies (NDT) to drive innovation
throughout concrete’s lifecycle.

For more information, visit

www.giatec.ca

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