Investigation of the effect of different curing conditions on the mechanical performance of calcium aluminate cement concrete at elevated temperatures

Abstract

Research on improving the performance of concrete at elevated temperatures has been increasing in recent years. In this context, Calcium Aluminate Cement (CAC) can be used in concrete mixes to increase the performance of concrete at elevated temperatures. However, the use of CAC has not yet become widespread in structural applications due to the unstable nature of CAC, which is highly affected by curing temperature and humidity. Therefore, it is of great importance to investigate the curing conditions that directly affect the unstable nature of CAC. In the present study, different curing methods were applied to calcium aluminate cement concretes (CACC) and their performance at elevated temperatures (300 °C, 600 °C, 900 °C) was investigated. In this framework, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and flexural strength of the samples were determined, load–displacement relations and microstructural changes were evaluated. As a result of the study, it has been determined that CACC samples have better mechanical performance than normal concrete at elevated temperatures and especially the mechanical performance of CACC samples cured at high temperature (CACCH) is better than CACC samples cured under normal conditions (CACCN).