Temperature and Frequency Effects on Properties of Polymer-Modified Concrete

Abstract

The dynamic elastic modulus and damping of concrete made from ordinary portland cement (OPC) remain relatively constant over the significant ranges of temperatures and frequencies that might be encountered in normal application. This is not the case, however, with polymer-modified concrete (PMC). This paper presents results of an experimental study examining the role of temperature and frequency with regard to PMC’s dynamic properties when certain polymers [ethyl-vinyl-acetate (EVA) and several varieties of styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)] are introduced to OPC concrete. It is possible to increase the concrete damping by a factor of as much as 2.7 times, provided the ambient temperature is reasonably close to the polymer’s glass transition temperature. On the other hand, the elastic moduli at a given temperature may decrease by as much as 45%, depending on polymer concentration, though the effect of ambient temperature variation is much less dramatic—on the order of 15% for a given polymer concentration.