| Hydration at early ages results from chemical and physical processes that take place between Portland cement and water, and is an exothermic process. The resultant heat evolution and temperature rise for massive concrete placements can be so great that the temperature differentials between the internal concrete core and outer concrete stratum can cause cracking due to thermal gradients. Accurate prediction of temperature distribution and stresses in mass concrete is needed to determine if a given concrete mixture design may have problems in the field, so that adjustments to the design can be made prior to its use. This research examines calorimetric, strength, and physical testing methods in an effort to predict the thermal and physical behavior of mass concrete. Four groups of concrete mixture types containing different cementitious materials are examined. One group contains Portland cement, while the other three groups incorporate large replacements of supplementary cementitious materials: granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, and a ternary blend (combining Portland cement, fly ash, and slag). |
