EXPERIMENTAL MEASUREMENT OF CONCRETE THERMAL EXPANSION

Thermal coefficient of concrete was investigated for several influencing factors. The thermal coefficient is measured using AASHTO TP60-00 - i.e., the standard test method measured by the dilatometer and adopted recently in the U.S. DOT. To evaluate the influencing factors for thermal coefficient of concrete, four testing parameters were included in this study: those are six different aggregate types (coarse aggregates typically used in S. Korea), specimen shape (prism and cylinder), cycles of warming and cooling, and measurement types (dilatometer and strain gauges). According to experimental results, specimen shape is revealed as the main factor affecting the thermal coefficient of concrete. As indicated by other researches, the type of coarse aggregate used in the study also influenced thermal coefficient of concrete specimen. However, the prism concrete specimen produced almost same values of thermal coefficients under cycles of warming and cooling. Finally test results were compared to investigate the effect of different measurement types. The thermal coefficient value determined by the dilatometer device is similar to the value from PML 60.