Mechanical properties of ultra-lightweight cement composite at low temperatures of 0 to −60 °C

This paper presents an experimental study on mechanical properties of an innovative ultra-lightweight cement composite (ULCC) at low temperatures down to −60 °C in comparison with those at ambient temperature. Those properties include stress-strain curve, ultimate strength, elastic modulus, Poisson ratio, and flexural tensile behavior. Effect of curing condition is also evaluated. In addition, the performance of the ULCC is compared with that of a normal weight concrete (NWC) and a lightweight concrete (LWC) with similar 28-day compressive strength. The cylindrical compressive strength of the NWC and LWC was increased generally with the reduction in temperature. However, the same phenomenon was not observed for the ULCC. The elastic modulus of the ULCC did not change much, whereas the elastic modulus of the NWC increased significantly with the reduction of temperature from 30 °C to −60 °C. Strain of the ULCC at the peak load was generally much higher than that of the NWC and LWC, and was generally not affected by the temperature. The flexural strength of the three concretes was increased with the reduction in temperature. Duration of the moist curing did not affect the performance of the ULCC under compression significantly, but influenced its flexural strength significantly.