Study on Field Thermal Curing of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Employing Heat of Hydration

A pilot-scale field investigation was conducted through which: 1) a refined ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) mixture was prepared in a ready mixed concrete plant; 2) a large reinforced UHPC block was constructed through placement, consolidation, and finishing of UHPC; and 3) a commonly available concrete curing (insulating) blanket was applied for field thermal curing of the UHPC block using the exothermic heat of hydration of the cementitious binder in UHPC. Monitoring of the reinforced UHPC block temperature over time confirmed the development of a reasonably uniform temperature and a viable temperature time history, which suited thermal curing of UHPC without any heat input. In-place nondestructive inspection of the reinforced UHPC structure pointed at timely setting and strength development, leading to achievement of ultra-high-performance status. Specimens were cored from the large reinforced concrete block and subjected to laboratory testing. The experimental results indicated that the field thermal curing was more effective than the laboratory thermal curing considered in the project, and that the pilot-scale production of the UHPC mixture produced compressive strengths approaching 170 MPa (24.7 ksi). Keywords: heat of hydration; pilot-scale field production; thermal curing; ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC).