Strength of high-strength concrete heated to 250°C

The present study investigated the effect of elevated temperatures ranging from 50 to 250°C on the tensile strength (splitting and flexural) of high-strength concrete (HSC) made with Portland cement (PC) and pozzolana Portland cement (PPC), for application in the chemical and metallurgical industries or thermal shielding of nuclear power plants. Tests were conducted on 150 mm diameter cylindrical specimens and 100 mm × 100 mm × 500 mm beam specimens. The specimens were heated to different temperatures of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250°C for three different durations of 1, 2 and 3 h at each temperature. After the heat treatment, the specimens were tested for both splitting and flexural tensile strengths. Test results were analysed and the effects of elevated temperatures on PPC concrete were compared with PC concrete. The PPC concrete exhibited better performance than PC concrete.