Temperature Effect on the Compressive Behavior and Constitutive Model of Plain Hardened Concrete

Concrete is one of the most common and versatile construction materials and has been used under a wide range of environmental conditions. Temperature is one of them, which significantly affects the performance of concrete, and therefore, a careful evaluation of the effect of temperature on concrete cannot be overemphasized. In this study, an overview of the temperature effect on the compressive behavior of plain hardened concrete is experimentally provided. Concrete cylinders were prepared, cured, and stored under different temperature conditions to be tested under compression. The stress–strain curve, mode of failure, compressive strength, ultimate strain, and modulus of elasticity of concrete were evaluated between the ages of 7 and 90 days. The experimental results were used to propose constitutive models to predict the mechanical properties of concrete under the effect of temperature. Moreover, previous constitutive models were examined to capture the stress–strain relationships of concrete under the effect of temperature. Based on the experimental data and the proposed models, concrete lost 10–20% of its original compressive strength when heated to 100 °C and 30–40% at 260 °C. The previous constitutive models for stress–strain relationships of concrete at normal temperatures can be used to capture these relationships under the effect of temperature by using the compressive strength, ultimate strain, and modulus of elasticity affected by temperature. The effect of temperature on the modulus of elasticity of concrete was considered in the ACI 318-14 equation by using the compressive strength affected by temperature and the results showed good agreement with the experimental data.