Autogenous shrinkage of high-performance concrete subjected to different curing temperatures

High-performance concrete (HPC) shows obvious autogenous shrinkage in the early stage. In actual engineering, the interior of HPC undergoes a variable temperature evolution, and the impact of variable temperature conditions on the autogenous shrinkage of HPC is unclear. This paper examines the impact of different curing temperatures on the material properties of HPC, as well as the evolution of HPC autogenous shrinkage. Three measured temperature histories and four constant temperatures were used as curing conditions. Additionally, an HPC autogenous shrinkage prediction model was established considering the impact of curing temperature. The test results indicate that the compressive strength and elastic modulus of HPC increase with increasing curing temperature. Furthermore, there is a significant increase in the autogenous shrinkage rate of HPC as the curing temperature increases. Existing maturity methods overestimate the impact of temperature on the autogenous shrinkage process of HPC. The proposed autogenous shrinkage prediction model enhances the accuracy in predicting the autogenous shrinkage of HPC under constant and variable curing temperature conditions. •The autogenous shrinkage of high-performance concrete (HPC) was studied under variable curing temperatures.•The compressive strength and elastic modulus of HPC both increased with higher curing temperatures.•The autogenous shrinkage of HPC increased as the curing temperature increases.•An autogenous shrinkage of HPC prediction model considering the influence of temperature was established.