for moisture contents between 10 and 30%. However, the maximum absorption for water/cement ratios of 0.7 and 0.8 occurs
at zero moisture content. These results do not conform very closely to the equation describing the effect of moisture content
proposed by Hall [4.43]. Figure 4.47 does not exhibit the expected trend of continuously increasing absorption with an
increasing water/cement ratio.
Dhir et al. [4.69] also found that the severity and duration of drying affected the initial surface absorption (Fig. 4.48). It
was concluded that oven drying at 105°C was a suitable conditioning method for laboratory testing; the more realistic air
drying would be inconveniently slow.