Title:
Thermal Treatment Effects on Properties of High-Strength Concrete
Author(s):
Moetaz El-Hawary and Ezzat Abdelsalam
Publication:
Materials Journal
Volume:
122
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
17-30
Keywords:
high-performance concrete (HPC); mechanical properties; microstructural analysis; physical properties; thermal treatment
DOI:
10.14359/51749121
Date:
11/1/2025
Abstract:
As global demand for concrete has been forecasted to continue rising, one of the approaches toward more sustainable construction is the adoption of mixture designs that replace conventional ones. The current study contains a comparison between concrete mixtures that constitute only ordinary portland cement (OPC) and mixtures incorporating 25% OPC with a 75% replacement by supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). The major experimental hypothesis focuses on investigating whether it is effective to use thermal treatment under moderately elevated temperatures to enhance physical and mechanical properties of concrete. Comparisons were performed using mechanical tests such as compressive strength, tensile strength, and flexural strength, and through several nondestructive physical experiments, as well as microstructural investigation using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). In conclusion, the experimental results showed a mostly positive influence, observing significant enhancements after thermal treatment. However, treated concrete mixtures that constitute only OPC seem to excel in overall performance compared to those incorporating SCMs.
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