Properties of Concrete: Properties of Concrete, 5th Edition

Chapter 8. Temperature effects in concrete

Laboratory testing of concrete is usually performed at a controlled temperature, normally constant. As the early testing was done in temperate climates, the standardized temperature chosen was generally in the region of 18 to 21 °C (64 to 70 °F) so that much of the basic information about the properties of both fresh and hardened concrete is based on the behaviour of concrete at these temperatures. In practice, however, concrete is mixed at a wide range of temperatures and also remains in service at different temperatures. Indeed, the actual range of temperatures has widened considerably with much modern construction taking place in countries which have a hot climate. Also, new developments, mainly offshore, ...