Analysis of hydration heat and autogenous shrinkage of high-strength mass concrete

Abstract

The early-age properties and relationships between hydration heat and autogenous shrinkage in high-strength mass concrete of different mixture proportions are investigated through analysis of the history curves of hydration heat and autogenous shrinkage. The hydration temperature and hydration heating velocity (HHV) of the concrete were found to increase with increases in specimen size and decrease when the concrete contained a retarder, fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS). Even in samples of the same mixture proportion, autogenous shrinkage was noted to become greater as the inner temperature increased. The autogenous shrinkage of high-strength mass concrete containing FA and GGBS was lower than that of ordinary Portland cement high-strength mass concrete. The autogenous shrinking velocity of concrete increased as the size of the specimen increased and decreased when the concrete contained a retarder, FA and GGBS. Finally, a close correlation was found between the hydration temperature and autogenous shrinkage at an early age: a higher HHV and a larger HHV–maturity factor led to greater autogenous shrinkage.