Model techniques for testing heated concrete structures

The experimental techniques described in this paper may be used in the laboratory to measure strains of model concrete structures representing to scale actual structures of any shape or geometry, operating at elevated temperatures, for which time-dependent creep and shrinkage strains are dominant. These strains could be used to assess the distribution of stress in the scaled structures and hence to predict the actual behaviour of concrete structures used in nuclear power stations. Similar techniques have been employed in an investigation by the author to measure elastic, thermal, creep and shrinkage strains in heated concrete models representing to scale parts of prestressed concrete pressure vessels^1–6 for nuclear reactors.The experimental techniques, the model specimens and the materials described in the paper refer to the above investigation.The paper starts by describing the models tested, the equipment used and the experimental procedures and ends by presenting, in graphical form, the experimental results. Analytical procedures developed to predict the model behaviour are briefly described in the Appendix.