Effect of Temperature on the Stress-Strain Behavior of M30 Grade Concrete

An experimental investigation was made on the complete compressive stress-strain relationship for concrete of M30 grade exposed to elevated temperatures. The concrete specimens of 28 days age were 15 cm diameter and 30 cm long standard cylinders. They were exposed to elevated temperatures ranging from 50 to 250 °C at an interval of 50 °C for 1, 2 and 3 h duration. The heated specimens were cooled to room temperature by two cooling methods like air cooling and water quenching. From the results of 105 specimens, complete stress-strain curves were obtained for their residual strengths. The peak stress ratios for both air-cooled and water-quenched specimens heated to 50 °C for 1h duration were 1.148 and 1.110 respectively. As the temperature increased, the stiffness of the specimens reduced. Air-cooled specimens performed slightly better than water-quenched specimens