Long-Term Performance of Concrete Suffered Infant Age Freezing

Interior water migrated towards the surface area when concrete suffered minus temperature during infant ages. Cover concrete became the worst part after the complicated process of water freezing – thawing, intermittent hydration of cementious materials and volatilization. Presentation quality, carbonization depth and rebound value in 120 d ages were observed and tested in situation. There were some calcium carbonate stains spread over the web, many swelling points and radial ice lens spread over the surface of box girder. The carbonization depth was over 10mm, and the rebound value of web concrete lower than 50, some areas’ lower than 35, variance larger than 30. Compared with other parts, the rebound value of web bottom concrete was the lowest and the variance biggest. For the same cross section, there were obviously difference of concrete quality between sunny face and shady ones, which enhanced the un-uniformity of element and made the stress distribution more complicated and uncertainty. Some effective measures must be taken to avoid the infant age frozen in order to assure the concrete quality constructed during the winter.