A concrete pour does not finish when the last bay is levelled. The most important part often happens out of sight, as the mix hydrates, gains strength and releases heat. If the concrete gets too cold, strength gain can slow sharply. If it gets too hot, or if the core and surface cool at very different rates, the risk of cracking and durability issues rises. That is why curing temperature matters on slabs, beams, columns, bridge decks, precast elements and mass concrete pours.