Effect of Early Age Strength on Cracking in Mass Concrete Containing Different Supplementary Cementitious Materials: Experimental and Finite-Element Investigation

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of an investigation using the finite-element method to predict the distribution of temperatures within a hydrating massive concrete element. The temperature distribution produced by the finite-element thermal analysis of the model is used in the finite-element structural analysis to quantify the maximum allowable internal temperature difference before cracking will initiate in the concrete. To verify the results obtained in the finite-element model, four different mixes of concrete, typical for use in mass concrete applications in Florida, were produced and each mix was used to make two large-scale