Frost heaving behavior and mechanical deterioration of prestressed concrete

Abstract

Freeze–thaw (FT) damage can cause frost heaving and cracking of prestressed concrete (PC) structures, and a decrease in the strain of prestressing tendon, which seriously affects the safety of the structures. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the frost heaving behavior and mechanical deterioration of bonded post-tensioned PC components in an FT environment. The strain variations along the length of the components during 300 freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs) were obtained, and the effects of FTCs and stress levels on concrete frost heaving strain and prestressing tendon strain loss were analyzed. The results indicated that with increasing FTCs, the concrete frost heaving strain, the residual strain, and the loss of the prestressing tendon strain all increased. As the stress level rose, the effect of prestress forces on the concrete frost cracking from inhibition switched to aggravation. Considering the effects of FTCs and stress levels, a strain loss model for the components was established, and it was in good agreement with the experimental results.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

prestressed concrete components / freeze–thaw cycles / stress level / frost heaving strain

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