Hochtief Aktiengesellschaft Vorm. Gebr.helfmann

Claus Flohrer

Bernd Hillemeier

Andreas Schaab

A surface of a fresh concrete body is dried by first covering the surface to be dried with a layer of bibulous granules having a great internal surface area for a time sufficient to draw generally all of the water out of the body via the surface and then preventing water from entering the layer from its side turned away from the body. The granules are finely divided hygroscopic particles, with an internal surface area of at least 200 m.sup.2 /g, preferably at least 800 m.sup.2 /g. The hydrophilic particles take up the moisture from the concrete and hold it in the layer of particles lying on the surface. This reduces the partial vapor pressure on the surface of the concrete body which effectively draws further liquid out of the concrete. The particles are a mixture of a cross-linked polymer that only swells in water and silica. The particles are carried in a coherent mat and are applied as a layer to the surface by laying the mat thereon. This mat has a moisture-pervious face and a moisture-impervious face so that water is prevented from entering the layer from the side turned away from the body by orienting the moisture-impervious face away from the body. The moisture-impervious face is formed by a synthetic-resin sheet.

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Neu-Isenburg, Germany

Claus Flohrer