FREEZE THAW STUDY

Research was conducted to determine whether five days of controlled temperature moist curing was necessary to ensure durability of precast structures along Massachusetts highways. A number of test cylinders and prisms were cast from a typical precast mix, which contained an air-entrainment additive. Half the samples were moist-cured for a total of seven days at 70 deg F (21 deg C), then stored outdoors; the other half were moist-cured for only two days and immediately exposed to winter weather conditions. Following two months of outdoor storage, the prisms were resaturated and tested for freeze-thaw durability using procedures adapted from ASTM C 666 and ASTM C 215. After more than 300 cycles of rapid freezing and thawing no severe degradation was observed in any of the samples. It was concluded that a full five day moist-cure was not required to achieve acceptable freeze-thaw durability when using the current Massachusetts Highway Department approved precast concrete mix design.

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  Transportation Center, 130 Natural Resources Road
  Amherst, MA  United States  01003

  Massachusetts Highway Department

  10 Park Plaza
  Boston, MA  United States  02116-3973

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Kunhardt, H
  • Mogawer, W S
• Publication Date: 1997-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 22 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air entraining agents; Cold weather; Concrete curing; Freeze thaw durability; Precast concrete
• Subject Areas: Highways; Materials; I32: Concrete;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00780269
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTC-97-17,, Final Research Report
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 15 1999 12:00AM