How Long Does It Take Concrete To Set?

Typically concrete will reach its full strength at approximately the 28day mark. 

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After 7 days the concrete will have reached 70% of its full strength,

which means although you should be able to perform light-weight tasks on the concrete, its advised to wait until the full 28day mark before performing further heaver tasks such as using machinery, equipment and vehicles. 

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Once the first 24-48hrs has passed from the concrete being laid, you will be able to walk over it without the worry of marks or footprints being made on the base. 

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While concretes strength is known to peak roughly around a month after installation, it will continue to harden and develop over time.

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Why Does This Happen?

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Water and cement (along with other aggregates if required) are mixed together to form concrete, during this process, the cement particles begin mixing with the water to form bonds.

This then strengthens the concrete mix, continuing to harden as long as moisture is present.

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One of the key factors to address in concrete when hardening is the role moisture plays. It's crucial to make sure the concrete has the right amount of moisture in order to set at maximum strength.

Too much water will make the concrete cure too fast, resulting in poor overall strength and structural integrity, where as too little water will make the concrete much harder to work with.