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Freezing and Thawing Durability of Ultra High Strength Concrete



Author(s)

Jesus Muro-Villanueva1, Craig M. Newtson1, Brad D. Weldon1, David V. Jauregui1 and Srinivas Allena2

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7359/2013.08.001

1. Civil Engineering Department, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM 88003, USA
2. Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Washington State University, Richland WA 99354, USA

Resistance to freezing and thawing of two UHSC (ultra high strength concrete) mixtures was evaluated in accordance with ASTM C 666 Procedure A. The two mixtures (plain and fiber reinforced) were developed using materials local to southern New Mexico,USA. Three different curing regimens were investigated for the mixture with fibers and one curing regimen was studied for the mixture without fibers. All curing regimens included 24 h of ambient curing followed by four days of wet curing at 50 ^oC, and then two days dry curing at 200 ^oC. At an age of seven days, one batch of fiber reinforced specimens was air cured at ambient conditions for the following six days and then placed in a water bath at 4.4 ^oC for 24 h prior to initiating freezing and thawing cycles. The second batch was air cured from day seven to day 12, and then wet cured for one day at 23 ^oC prior to being placed in the 4.4 ^oC water bath. The final batch was wet cured at 23 ^oC from the seventh day to an age of 13 days and then placed in the 4.4 ^oC water bath. The mixture with no fibers was air cured from the seventh day to an age of 12 days and then wet cured for one day at 23 ^oC prior to being placed in the 4.4 ^oC water bath. Higher moisture levels during curing produced greater initial dynamic elastic modulus values and durability factors at the end of the freezing and thawing tests, with the greatest durability factor being 87.5. Steel fibers were observed to improve both compressive strength and durability factor for UHSC.

Ultra high strength, freezing and thawing, durability, dynamic elastic modulus, quality factor.