Effect of low temperatures on the strength development of concrete

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The main objective of this proposal is to determine the effects of low temperature on strength development in concrete. Giatec Scientific Inc. (GIATEC) is a Canadian company specializing in the provision of integrated numerical and sensory tools for infrastructure owners and operators so that they can better evaluate the state of their assets and make informed decisions. GIATEC is currently developing a wireless sensor that can be embedded in concrete during construction in order to monitor its physical and chemical properties during and after construction as well as throughout its service life. This technology has many applications in the concrete industry including time predictions for surface finishing and formwork stripping, concrete heating optimization in winter, concrete mixture design optimization, and adjustment of concrete curing conditions. Further testing is needed to accurately determine the effect of low ambient temperatures on the strength development of the concrete. The effect of low temperatures on the strength development of concrete is likely dependent on the concrete mix design because the microstructure and pore solution chemistry changes depending on the type of cementitious materials and the water-cement ratio. The objective of this project is to experimentally determine the effect of low temperature on the correlation between electrical resistivity, temperature, and strength gain of concrete. The experimental program will include an investigation of the strength gain over time of various concrete mix designs subjected to low temperatures and will be used to optimize an algorithm for predicting the concrete strength using temperature and resistivity readings.