Transient thermal strain of concrete: literature review, conditions within specimen and behaviour of individual constituents

Synopsis This is the first of three papers presenting the results of an investigation into the effect of material and environmental factors upon the transient thermal strain behaviour of concrete during the first heat cycle under load to 600°C. A literature review of transient thermal creep of concrete is presented. It reveals inadequate understanding of this subject for temperatures above 100°C and a lack of data for conditions pertinent to the analysis of concrete structures during first-time heating. This paper also presents results of preliminary work forming background information for the analysis of the transient thermal strain behaviour of unsealed concrete specimens. The complex temperature, moisture and thermal stress conditions developing during thermal transients in concrete test specimens have, therefore, been investigated experimentally and/or theoretically. The ‘structural’ effects and modification of material behaviour caused by these conditions have consequently been minimized by appropriate design of experiment. Characteristics of the individual aggregate and cement paste constituents have been determined by dilatometry, DTA and TGA tests which showed aggregate thermal stability to be a critical factor.