Numerical modelling of field test for crack risk assessment of early age concrete containing fly ash

The high-strength/high-performance concretes are prone to cracking at early age due to low water/binder ratio. The replacement of cement with mineral additives such as fly ash and blast-furnace slag reduces the hydration heat during the hardening phase, but at the same time, it has significant influence on the development of mechanic and viscoelastic properties of early age concrete. Its potential benefit to minimize the cracking risk was investigated through a filed experiment carried out by the Norwegian Directorate of Roads. The temperature development and strain development of the early age concrete with/without the fly ash were measured for a “double-wall” structure. Based on experimental data and well-documented material models which were verified by calibration of restraint stress development in TSTM test, thermal-structural analysis was performed by finite element program DIANA to assess the cracking risk for concrete structures during hardening. The calculated and measured temperature and strain in the structure had good agreement, and the analysis results showed that mineral additives such as flay ash are beneficial in reducing cracking risk for young concrete. Furthermore, parameter studies were performed to investigate the influence of the two major factors: creep and volume change (autogenous shrinkage and thermal dilation) during hardening, on the stress development in the structure