I am having an earth sheltered concrete home built and have a question about how soon hardwood flooring can be installed.

The home is in central Texas, and will be built next fall. It will be constructed of a monolithic pour of concrete for the walls/roof, with floating concrete floors poured after the walls are in place.

How long will it be after pouring of the floors before we can install hardwood flooring? Do we need to install some type of underlayment to control moisture? Is there any way to speed up the curing process without compromising the floor strength?

You should by all means install a properly placed and sealed vapor retarder UNDER your floor slab.

Concrete curing depends on so many factors that it is impossible to comment. The concrete mix, whatever admixtures are incorporated, the temperature and humidity when the concrete is poured and is curing, the presence or absence of protection for the curing concrete, all affect curing rates.

I would direct this question to your structural engineer, and to the concrete supplier.

If it were my house, I would also allow room for wood sleepers on the concrete floor, and I would fasten my finished floor to those. Depending upon where else insulation is to be installed, I might place rigid board insulation between the sleepers.

All of this should be in accordance with the recommendations of your architect and structural engineer.

Richard is right.... poly under the slab... to prevent moisture from coming up through.

You should also put a vapor barrier down under your flooring to make sure the floor does not swell.

You may consider putting a few dehumidifiers inside the structure to aid in removing the water as plastic under the concrete will strengthen the concrete but slow the cure.

Lastly, make sure that the concrete contractor cuts the floor into pieces no more that 12 x 12' at 25 % or the concrete depth.

Good Luck