Comparison of Strength-Maturity Models Accounting for Hydration Heat in Massive Walls

The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of different strength-maturity models to account for the effect of the hydration heat on the in-place strength development of high-strength concrete specifically developed for nuclear facility structures under various ambient curing temperatures. To simulate the primary containment-vessel of a nuclear reactor, three 1200-mm-thick wall specimens were prepared and stored under isothermal conditions of approximately $5^{\circ}C$ (cold temperature), $20^{\circ}C$ (reference temperature), and $35^{\circ}C$ (hot temperature). The in situ compressive strengths of the mock-up walls were measured using cores drilled from the walls and compared with strengths estimated from various strength-maturity models considering the internal temperature rise owing to the hydration heat. The test results showed the initial apparent activation energies at the hardening phase were approximately 2 times higher than the apparent activation energies until the final setting. The differences between core strengths and field-cured cylinder strengths became more notable at early ages and with the decrease in the ambient curing temperature. The strength-maturity model proposed by Yang provides better reliability in estimating in situ strength of concrete than that of Kim et al. and Pinto and Schindler.