Strain and thermal expansion coefficients of various cement pastes during hydration at early ages

Cement pastes undergo elevated temperature histories due to hydration heat liberation at early ages. Thermal expansion coefficients of cement paste and concrete change with age, showing a decrease after mixing, a subsequent minimum and then a gradual increase. These changes contribute to thermal strain. In this study, effects of water–cement ratio and cement type on volume changes in early-age cement pastes were experimentally examined using a newly developed apparatus capable of simultaneously determining both thermal expansion coefficient and total strain of cement pastes. The dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient on hydration was affected by water–cement ratio, cement type, elevated temperature history and particularly by the free water content of the cement pastes, while the relationship between thermal expansion coefficient and free water content varied with water–cement ratio. A notable increase in thermal expansion coefficient at early ages was observed when water–cement ratio was low and alite content in cement was high. At a water–cement ratio of 0.30, low-heat Portland cement paste resulted in a small total strain while moderate-heat and ordinary Portland cement pastes showed larger strains. Because no particular difference was observed in the thermal strains, shrinkage in the low-heat Portland cement paste was attributed to autogenous strain. At a water–cement ratio of 0.40, self-desiccation had a significant influence upon autogenous shrinkage and dependence of thermal expansion coefficient on hydration, and the effect of the mineral composition of cements was notable. However, for cement pastes with a water cement ratio of 0.55, no significant effects of self-desiccation were observed, probably because considerable excess water was present.