High Temperature Behaviour of Self-consolidating Concrete: Microstructure and Physicochemical Properties

This paper presents an experimental study on the properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC) subjected to high temperature. Two SCC mixtures and one vibrated concrete mixture were tested. These concrete mixtures come from the French National Project B@P. The specimens of each concrete mixture were heated at a rate of 1 °C/min up to different temperatures (150, 300, 450 and 600 °C). In order to ensure a uniform temperature throughout the specimens, the temperature was held constant at the maximum temperature for 1 h before cooling. Mechanical properties at ambient temperature and residual mechanical properties after heating have already been determined. In this paper, the physicochemical properties and the microstuctural characteristics are presented. Thermogravimetric analysis, thermodifferential analysis, X-ray diffraction and SEM observations were used. The aim of these studies was in particular to explain the observed residual compressive strength increase between 150 and 300 °C.

[1]  Gabriel A. Khoury,et al.  Compressive strength of concrete at high temperatures: a reassessment , 1992 .

[2]  J. Clifton,et al.  Specimen Preparation for Scanning Electron Microscopy | NIST , 1999 .

[3]  Paul E. Stutzman,et al.  Scanning electron microscopy imaging of hydraulic cement microstructure , 2004 .

[4]  N. Richard.  Structure et proprietes elastiques des phases cimentieres base de mono-aluminate de calcium , 1996 .

[5]  Luc Taerwe,et al.  Assessment of temperature increase and residual strength of SCC after fire exposure , 2007 .

[6]  Kenneth C. Torres,et al.  Specimen Preparation for Scanning Electron Microscopy , 1989 .

[7]  G. A. Khoury,et al.  Mechanical Properties of Hardened Cement Paste Exposed to Temperatures up to 700 C (1292 F) , 1990 .

[8]  L. Boström,et al.  Self-Compacting Concrete Exposed to Fire , 2008 .

[9]  Shrinkage of Hardened Cement Paste at Temperatures up to 670 C (1238 F) , 1990 .

[10]  Sébastien Remond,et al.  Self-consolidating concrete subjected to high temperature: Mechanical and physicochemical properties , 2009 .

[11]  Luc Taerwe,et al.  Phase distribution and microstructural changes of self-compacting cement paste at elevated temperature , 2007 .

[12]  Nicolas Lequeux,et al.  Elastic properties of high alumina cement castables from room temperature to 1600°C , 1999 .

[13]  W. Sha,et al.  Differential scanning calorimetry study of ordinary Portland cement , 1999 .

[14]  Luc Taerwe,et al.  On the Mechanism of Polypropylene Fibres in Preventing Fire Spalling in Self-Compacting and High-performance Cement Paste , 2008 .

[15]  Bertil R. R. Persson,et al.  Fire resistance of self-compacting concrete, SCC , 2004 .