Influence of curing temperature on cement hydration and mechanical strength development of fly ash mortars

The influence of fly ash and curing temperature on cement hydration and compressive strength development of mortars was investigated. Test parameters included type of fly ash (two different Class F fly ashes were tested), the level of cement replacement (10, 20 and 30% by mass), and curing temperature (20 degrees C and 40 degrees C). The mortar physical and microstructural properties were determined by means of thermal analyses, compressive strength measurements and SEM observations. Test results confirm that fly ash tends to increase significantly the rate of cement hydration at early age. Data also demonstrate that an elevation of the curing temperature reduces the long-term compressive strength of the reference mortar mixture. In contrast, an increase of the curing temperature seems to have no detrimental effect on the long-term compressive strength of the fly ash mixtures. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.