In actual concrete water projects, areas such as the back surface, above-water surface, and even areas where the water level fluctuates are in the unsaturated freeze-thaw state. The complexity of freeze-thaw tests of unsaturated hydraulic concrete has thus far prevented a sound understanding of the mechanisms at work in freeze-thaw deterioration of unsaturated hydraulic concrete. Given this situation, this study first compares three different unsaturated hydraulic concrete freeze-thaw test processes (polyurea seal, paraffin seal, and vacuum-bag seal) and then uses the vacuum-bag seal method to implement freeze-thaw tests of unsaturated hydraulic concrete. Afterward, three test schemes (unsaturated sealed freeze-thaw, water-freeze-thaw without air-entraining agent, and water-freeze-thaw with air-entraining agents) are conducted and the mechanisms of freeze-thaw deterioration of saturated and unsaturated hydraulic concrete are evaluated based on the measured temperature and strain of the concrete specimens. The results reveal a continuous and irreversible deterioration leading to the freeze-thaw damage of unsaturated sealed freeze-thaw specimens and water-freeze-thaw specimens with and without an air-entraining agent. After 200 freeze-thaw cycles, the cumulative residual strain of the aforementioned three test schemes reach 47 με, 616 με, and 273 με, respectively. The thermal expansion coefficient of concrete remains relatively constant with increasing freeze-thaw cycles. Water-freeze-thaw specimens without air-entraining agents have a greater thermal expansion coefficient than those with air-entraining agents, and unsaturated sealed freeze-thaw specimens have the smallest thermal expansion coefficient. The frost heave coefficient increases with increasing freeze-thaw cycles, and water-freeze-thaw specimens without air-entraining agents have greater frost heave coefficients than those with air-entraining agents.