Laboratory Curing Protocols to Replicate Thermomechanical Behavior of High-Strength Concrete in Mass Placements

Abstract

This paper outlines a framework for a potential testing protocol in which specimens are cast following typical industry practices, cured following a specific combination of insulting blocks and variable temperature boundary conditions, and then tested to approximate in-place mechanical properties. Protocols to cure specimens following a time–temperature profile of a high-strength concrete mass placement were developed so that mechanical properties can be measured directly. Findings showed that laboratory equipment was capable of replicating time–temperature profiles of mass concrete structures, and one protocol was recommended for a specific set of conditions. This framework is envisioned to be the foundational component of a standard method in which in-place properties of mass high-strength concrete placements can be predicted by a commercial testing laboratory that already conducts standard concrete tests. Future work is needed to extrapolate the proposed framework for different mixtures, placement sizes, and insulation types; this paper validates that the framework is possible.