Year: 2023
Type: report
Abstract: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials R 100 standard provides instructions for making and curing concrete test specimens in the field. However, further research is needed to compare the strength of the field-cured specimen with the strength of the actual in-place concrete item. The purpose of this combined laboratory and field study was to evaluate field-curing methods of concrete specimens for estimating the early opening strength of an in-place concrete item. The researchers used one Illinois Department of Transportation class PV mix to cast cylinders, beams, and in-place concrete slabs on October 2021 and February 2022 at an Illinois State University concrete experiment site. Concrete cylinders were cured using three methods: ambient air (Method #C1), insulated box/cooler (Method #C2), and power-operated box (Method #C3). Beams were cured using two methods: ambient air (Method #B1) and insulated plywood box (Method #B2). The cast-in-place specimens from each slab and cylinder were tested for compressive strength, and beams were tested for flexural strength after 1, 3, and 7 days of curing. One cylinder and one beam in each curing method along with slabs were embedded with sensors to collect temperature variation with time. Only Methods #C1, #C2, and #B1 were selected for evaluating further in the field, and data were collected from an IDOT District 5 box culvert demonstration project. Laboratory results showed that Method #C2 curing of 150 mm (6 in.) cylinders estimated early (1 to 3 days) compressive strength of an in-place concrete item within an acceptable range. For estimating the 7-day strength of an in-place concrete item, Method #C1 produced acceptable results. Further statistical analysis supported the results observed in the laboratory and field.
Authors: Pranshoo Solanki, Haiyan Xie
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4387978585