Title: Three-Stage Testing Protocol to Recreate Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Mass Concrete

Author(s): Ashley S. Carey, Grayson B. Sisung, Isaac L. Howard, Brad Songer, Dylan A. Scott, and Jay Shannon

Publication: Materials Journal

Volume:

Issue:

Appears on pages(s):

Keywords: high-strength concrete; insulated curing block; mass placements; programmable environmental chamber

DOI: 10.14359/51740705

Date: 3/15/2024

Abstract:
Determining in-place properties of mass concrete placements is elusive, and currently, there are minimal to no test methods available that are both predictive and a direct measurement of mechanical properties. This paper presents a three-stage testing framework that utilizes common laboratory equipment and laboratory scale specimens to quantify the thermal and mechanical properties of mass high-strength concrete placements. To evaluate this framework, four mass placement of varying sizes and insulations were cast where temperature histories were measured at several locations within each placement where maximum temperatures of 107 to 119°C were recorded. The laboratory curing protocols were then developed using this mass placement temperature data and the three-stage testing framework to cure laboratory specimens to represent each mass placement. Laboratory curing protocols developed for center and intermediate regions of the mass placements reasonably replicated thermal histories of the mass placements, while the first stage of the three-stage framework reasonably replicated temperatures near the edge of the mass placements. Additionally, there were statistically significant relationships detected between calibration variables used to develop laboratory curing protocols and measured compressive strength. Overall, the proposed three-stage testing framework is a measurable step towards creating a predictive laboratory curing protocol by accounting for the mixture characteristics of thermo-mechanical properties of high-strength concretes.