Research on mechanical properties and pore structure evolution process of steam cured high strength concrete under freeze thaw cycles

Abstract

Abstract With the widespread use of high-strength concrete structures (HC), the impact of pore structure on their performance has become a current research focus. The mechanism by which different curing conditions and freeze-thaw cycles influence the evolution of pore structure remains unclear. Therefore, this study systematically investigated the frost resistance of high-strength concrete under different curing conditions, measured the mass loss rate, compressive strength, and relative dynamic elastic modulus of concrete under freeze-thaw cycles. Utilizing low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, this study analyzed the evolution of pore structure in HC under freeze-thaw cycles. Additionally, the fractal dimension was used to evaluate the change of concrete internal pore structure, so as to reflect the influence of pore structure on the mechanical properties of concrete subjected to freeze-thaw cycles, and then evaluated the freeze-thaw damage of HC. The experimental results indicated that the steam curing regimes led to an increase in the porosity of HC, thereby influencing its frost resistance. Steam-cured high-strength concrete (SMHC) exhibited a higher degradation rate under freeze-thaw cycles, resulting in a greater level of deterioration compared to standard curing high-strength concrete (SDHC), even under the same number of freeze-thaw cycles.