Stress prediction in very early-age concrete subject to restraint under varying temperature histories

Abstract

Assessing the stress development in concrete requires an appropriate tensile creep model which is capable of incorporating the effect of the field environment conditions. This study quantifies the effect of temperature variation on the very early-age stress developments in restrained concrete by adopting a modified microprestress-solidification (MPS) theory-based creep model. The MPS creep model is first calibrated and verified based on the measured direct tensile creep data under normal and high temperature histories, it is then used to predict the very early-age stress development of the fully restrained concrete specimens under variable temperature history since casting. The predicted results are in good agreement with the experimental results. The tensile stress in restrained specimens can be relaxed by 80 %–87% within the first three days since casting. The predicted stress exhibits an obvious deviation from the measured one if temperature effect is not considered. Therefore, it is of importance to consider the temperature effect on concrete creep when the temperature variation in concrete is significant, and MPS creep model is valid for tensile stress prediction in concrete at very early ages.