Effects of centrifugal forming and steam curing on the fracture behavior of PHC pipe pile concrete
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: PHC pipe pile concrete is characterized by high strength but pronounced brittleness, which makes it susceptible to cracking during the pile-driving process. To elucidate the effect of centrifugal forming and steam curing on the fracture properties of PHC pipe pile concrete, this study prepared centrifuged prismatic specimens using a self-designed centrifuge and carried out three-point bending fracture experiments combined with digital image correlation (DIC) and acoustic emission (AE) techniques. The results show that reducing the delay period to 2 h from 4 h, or extending the duration beyond 12 h at 80 °C, induces significant steam-related damage in concrete. This leads to a decrease in flexural strength and crack initiation toughness, as well as increased branching and irregularity in crack propagation paths. The AE ringing counts and energy decrease, showing a uniform distribution throughout the fracture process. In contrast, under proper steam curing conditions, the post-peak descending stage exhibits an explosive increase in both ringing counts and energy. Centrifugal forming compacts the concrete mixture, lowers the water-cement ratio, enhances initial strength, and mitigates the negative effects of steam curing. This provides a theoretical basis for reducing the delay period by approximately 2 h compared to conventional concrete, thereby improving production efficiency in the PHC pipe pile manufacturing process.
Source: Materials Research Express
Authors: Xiaoqian Wang, Xinyang Li, Yuzhi Chen, Wenlei Xu, Xi Zuo
Institutions: Jinling Institute of Technology, Hohai University
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,000
Award: G6782133628
OpenAlex ID: W7119812760