No—not by itself. Pre-soaked porous ceramic aggregate is used mainly for internal curing: it stores water and can release it as cement hydrates. Some studies report lower shrinkage or similar-to-lower water-transport measurements in particular mixes, but those results do not establish that concrete made with the aggregate is waterproof. The outcome depends on the aggregate, mix, replacement level and test.
What pre-soaking ceramic aggregate does
Porous ceramic aggregate can absorb and hold water before it is mixed into concrete. When used in a pre-wetted state, it serves as an internal water reservoir. As cement hydration proceeds, the stored water can help supply moisture within the concrete. This practice is called internal curing.
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Internal curing is intended to address moisture-related behavior within a concrete mix, especially autogenous shrinkage. That is a different goal from preventing water from entering or passing through a finished structure. A mix may show a favorable result in a particular absorption, sorptivity or permeability test without being suitable as a waterproofing solution for every exposure.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute“Ceramic aggregate” is not one uniform material. Recycled ceramic types differ, as do particle size, pore structure and water absorption. Those differences can affect how much water the aggregate stores and releases, and how the hardened concrete performs. A finding for one ceramic material or mix should not be treated as a universal design rule.
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What the studies show—and what they do not
The published studies in this area measure different outcomes and use different aggregates. Their results are informative for the mixtures tested, but they are not interchangeable proof of waterproofness.
| Study | Material and scope | Reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Liu and Zhang, Magazine of Concrete Research (2010) | High-performance concrete with pre-soaked lightweight aggregate for internal curing; compared with control and shrinkage-reducing-admixture mixes at similar water/cement ratios. | Initial water absorption, sorptivity and water permeability were generally similar to or lower than the comparison mixes. The lightweight aggregate mixes also had lower unit weight, compressive strength and elastic modulus. |
| Use of porous ceramic waste aggregates for internal curing of high-performance concrete, Cement and Concrete Research (2009) | Pre-saturated recycled porous ceramic coarse aggregate in high-performance concrete. | The study reported that the aggregate could drastically reduce or eliminate autogenous shrinkage in its concrete with a water/binder ratio of 0.15. This is a shrinkage finding, not a waterproofness result. |
| Effects of recycled ceramic aggregates on internal curing of high performance concrete, Construction and Building Materials (2022) | Three recycled ceramic materials and different coarse-aggregate replacement rates. | Internal-curing efficiency varied by ceramic type and proportion. Wall tile at 20% replacement was the best-performing tested case in that study. |
| Yuan Yingjie, Guo Weiqiang, Wang Kunlin and Wei Ya, Journal of Highway and Transportation Research and Development (2019) | Concrete with pre-wetted lightweight fine aggregate, compared with normal concrete. | Electrical conductance and chloride diffusion were slightly higher in the study’s tests, with a difference below 5%. The authors discuss open macropores in the lightweight fine aggregate as possible ion-transport paths under the test conditions. |
| Microstructure and transport properties of cement mortar made with recycled fine ceramic aggregates, Developments in the Built Environment (2025) | Cement mortar with recycled fine ceramic aggregate; this was mortar evidence, not a test of pre-soaked ceramic aggregate in concrete. | The abstract reports the greatest declines in gas permeability and capillary sorptivity at 40% ceramic substitution. It also reports increased total porosity alongside a tighter interfacial transition zone. |
The differences matter. The 2010 study’s generally similar-to-lower water-transport results apply to its tested high-performance concrete mixes; they do not erase the strength and stiffness trade-offs it also reported. The 2019 chloride-transport result points in a different direction for a different lightweight fine aggregate and different measurements. The 2025 mortar results cannot be carried over as a waterproofness claim for concrete or as proof about pre-soaking.
Liu and Zhang summarized their 2010 findings this way: “In general, the concretes with LWA particles had initial water absorption, sorptivity and water permeability similar to or lower than those of the control concrete and the concrete with SRA.” That statement describes their tested mixtures, not every lightweight or ceramic aggregate concrete. Their paper also reports lower unit weight, compressive strength and elastic modulus in the lightweight-aggregate mixes, underscoring why a transport result should be read alongside structural properties.
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Why shrinkage and waterproofing are separate questions
Internal curing addresses water availability inside the mix
Autogenous shrinkage is a change in volume associated with hydration and moisture conditions within concrete. The 2009 porous-ceramic study addressed this behavior in high-performance concrete with a very low water/binder ratio of 0.15. That number describes the study’s tested condition; it is not a general mix recommendation. The 2022 study likewise compared ceramic types and replacement levels for internal curing rather than establishing a universal water barrier.
Water transport tests answer narrower questions
Absorption, sorptivity and water permeability are related to water movement, but each is a measured property under a particular test and mix condition. Chloride diffusion and electrical conductance are transport indicators for ions; they are not direct certification that a concrete element will keep liquid water out in service. A favorable result in one measure does not automatically establish performance against other exposure conditions, joints, cracks or construction details.
Thus, “lower permeability” and “waterproof” are not synonyms. To make a waterproofing claim for a structure, the required performance and exposure need to be defined, and the actual project mix and system need suitable evidence. The cited studies do not provide a universal waterproof concrete recipe or certification.
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The mortar study published in Developments in the Built Environment in 2025 illustrates why a single porosity number can also be misleading: it reports increased total porosity while describing a tighter interfacial transition zone and lower gas permeability and capillary sorptivity at its greatest tested ceramic substitution, 40%. These measurements concern mortar with fine recycled ceramic aggregate. They do not show that all pores are closed, that liquid water cannot pass through concrete, or that 40% is an appropriate replacement rate for a concrete project.
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If the goal is internal curing, evaluate the aggregate as a mix component—not as a stand-alone waterproofing additive. The cited work indicates that material properties and proportions can change both internal-curing response and transport behavior.
- Aggregate source and type: identify the ceramic material rather than relying on the broad label “recycled ceramic.” The 2022 comparison found differing efficiencies among three ceramic types.
- Particle size, grading and pore structure: the 2010 study notes that particle size and porosity affect outcomes, and that more porous crushed lightweight particles appeared to increase chloride penetration.
- Replacement proportion: retain the context of the result. Wall tile at 20% replacement was best among the cases tested in the 2022 study; 20% is not a general optimum for other aggregates or projects.
- Mix proportions and curing: interpret a result alongside the water/binder ratio, other mixture ingredients and curing regime. The 2009 shrinkage result, for example, came from a high-performance mix with a water/binder ratio of 0.15.
- Performance target and test: specify whether the need is reduced shrinkage, lower absorption, lower sorptivity, water permeability, chloride resistance or another project requirement. One result should not be substituted for another.
- Strength and stiffness requirements: account for structural performance as well as transport. In the 2010 study, the lightweight aggregate mixes had lower compressive strength and elastic modulus, as well as lower unit weight.
When comparing candidate mixes, keep the comparison on like terms: aggregate source and type, particle size and grading, water absorption and pore structure, replacement proportion, water/binder ratio, curing regime, and the specific outcome measured. The 2010 and 2019 results are not contradictory measurements of the same recipe; they involve different lightweight aggregates and indicators. Neither should be treated as a prediction for a new ceramic aggregate mix without testing that mix.
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How to make a project-level decision
- Define the exposure and desired result. Establish what the concrete must resist and how performance will be judged. “Waterproof” alone does not specify a measurable project requirement.
- Decide whether internal curing is the objective. If the concern is autogenous shrinkage, pre-wetted porous aggregate may be relevant. Do not assume that addressing shrinkage also solves water ingress.
- Identify the exact aggregate and mix. Record its ceramic source or type, particle size and grading, porosity or water absorption information, replacement proportion, water/binder ratio and curing conditions.
- Assess all required properties together. Consider the relevant transport tests along with strength, stiffness and other project performance criteria. A single published result cannot establish the performance of a different mix.
- Use a project-specific specification and evidence. Have the proposed mix assessed against the exposure and requirements for the structure. Where water control is required, coordinate the concrete mix with the appropriate project-specific water-control design, which may include admixtures, membranes, sealers or structural detailing.
For example, a project concerned with autogenous shrinkage should not choose a ceramic replacement solely because another study found reduced sorptivity. It should establish the shrinkage objective and assess a mix using the actual aggregate and intended proportions. Conversely, a water-exclusion requirement calls for evidence that addresses that requirement; an internal-curing result or a chloride-transport figure under a different test is not a substitute. The choice of water-control system is project-specific, and the studies summarized here do not prescribe one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common mistakes to avoid
- Calling the aggregate a waterproofing additive. The studies primarily investigate internal curing and measured material properties; they do not establish a blanket waterproofing function.
- Applying a tested percentage to a different ceramic material. The 20% wall-tile case was the best tested case in one study, not a universal prescription.
- Using mortar findings as concrete specifications. The 2025 work concerned mortar with fine ceramic aggregate, and its reported 40% substitution result is not a waterproofness figure for concrete.
- Equating chloride transport with liquid-water tightness. The 2019 study’s conductance and chloride-diffusion measurements describe its tests, not every water exposure a structure may face.
- Ignoring trade-offs. Reduced unit weight or favorable transport results do not by themselves establish structural suitability; the 2010 study also reported reductions in compressive strength and elastic modulus.
- Treating a study’s best case as a specification. “Best-performing” in the 2022 paper means best among the ceramic types and replacement rates that paper tested for internal curing; it is not evidence that wall tile at 20% will be best for different mixes, exposures or performance targets.
Conclusion
Pre-soaked porous ceramic aggregate can function as an internal-curing water reservoir and may reduce autogenous shrinkage. Its effects on water transport vary by aggregate and mix, and some studies report results that are similar to or less favorable than comparison concrete for particular indicators. Treat internal curing and waterproofing as separate design questions: a specific structure needs a defined water-control requirement and evidence for the actual project mix and system.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does pre-soaking ceramic aggregate stop water leaking through concrete?
Not by itself. Pre-soaking porous aggregate is an internal-curing method, and the cited studies do not establish that it stops leakage in a structure. Leakage control needs a defined project requirement and evidence for the actual concrete and water-control system.
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Can pre-wetted ceramic aggregate reduce concrete permeability?
It can affect measured transport properties, but the direction and size of the effect depend on the aggregate, mixture and test. Liu and Zhang’s 2010 high-performance-concrete study found initial absorption, sorptivity and water permeability generally similar to or lower than its comparison mixes. A different 2019 study of pre-wetted lightweight fine aggregate reported slightly higher electrical conductance and chloride diffusion, with differences below 5%.
Is 20% ceramic aggregate the right replacement rate?
No universal replacement rate is established. In a 2022 study comparing three recycled ceramic types and different coarse-aggregate replacement rates, wall tile at 20% was the best-performing tested case for internal curing. That result is not a general design prescription.
Does the reported 40% ceramic substitution make concrete waterproof?
No. The 40% figure comes from a 2025 cement-mortar study using recycled fine ceramic aggregate. It reported the greatest declines in gas permeability and capillary sorptivity at that tested substitution, but it was mortar evidence and does not prove waterproofness in concrete.
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Its role as an internal-curing water reservoir, with reduced autogenous shrinkage reported in particular studies. A 2009 study of porous ceramic waste aggregate reported that it could drastically reduce or eliminate autogenous shrinkage in its high-performance concrete at a water/binder ratio of 0.15. That condition is study-specific, not a general mix recipe.
The Bottom Line
Pre-soaked ceramic aggregate can support internal curing and may reduce autogenous shrinkage, but it is not a stand-alone waterproofing additive. Transport results vary by aggregate and mix, so waterproof performance requires a defined project target and evidence for the actual mix and system.
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