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Influence of chemical and mineralogical composition of concrete aggregates on their behaviour at elevated temperature

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Abstract

The nature of aggregates has an important influence on the behaviour of concrete at high temperature. The aggregates used in concrete are classified into two categories: siliceous (S) and calcareous (C). Most publications and Eurocode 2 Part 1–2 underline concrete containing C aggregates have a better thermal resistance in comparison to concrete with S aggregate. Recent studies show that rocks of identical chemical nature can have different behaviour during a temperature rise. Therefore, the improvement for understanding the thermal damage process of aggregates is necessary. An experimental study performed on three different aggregates (limestone, flint and quartzite) underwent heating–cooling cycles at 150, 300, 450, 600 and 750 °C is discussed in this paper. For a same S nature, the flint showed a spalling phenomenon from 300 to 500 °C, while quartzite had a good thermal stability up to 750 °C. C aggregates presented instability due to decarbonation/hydration after the heating/cooling cycle at 750 °C. The physico-chemical, mineralogical and microstructural evolutions of these aggregates with temperature were analysed to better understand the instability process of concrete aggregates. The evolution of flint damage is especially described by a series of observations of cracking from macroscopic to nanoscopic scale through microscopic scale. Aggregates have a high temperature behaviour very different depending on their physicochemical properties. Distinguishing aggregates according to their mineralogical nature only may not completely be sufficient to anticipate their thermal stability. The distinction between S versus C prescribed by the Eurocode 2 Part 1–2 for calculating concrete compressive strength at elevated temperature is not sufficiently precise or relevant.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the GSM Company for its cooperation of the materials supply. We thank Annelise Cousture and Lilian Cristofol of the Laboratory of Mechanics and Materials of Civil Engineering of Cergy-Pontoise University for their precious assistance during the XRD analysis and the SEM observations. We thank finally Dr. Nancy Brodie-Linder of the Department of Chemistry of Cergy-Pontoise University for her contribution on the IR and nitrogen adsorption analysis. We are grateful to Duncan Cree for his contribution to improve our French influenced English.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. L2MGC EA 4114, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 95000, Cergy-Pontoise, France

    Zhi Xing, Anne-Lise Beaucour & Albert Noumowé

  2. Laboratoire Géosciences et Environnement Cergy, EA 4506, Université de Cergy-Pontoise, 95000, Cergy-Pontoise, France

    Ronan Hébert & Béatrice Ledésert

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  1. Zhi Xing
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  2. Ronan Hébert
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Correspondence to Zhi Xing.

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Xing, Z., Hébert, R., Beaucour, AL. et al. Influence of chemical and mineralogical composition of concrete aggregates on their behaviour at elevated temperature. Mater Struct 47, 1921–1940 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-013-0161-y

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