The impact of changes in pore structure on the compressive strength of sulphoaluminate cement concrete at high temperature

Abstract The internal pore structure of sulphoaluminate cement concrete (SACC) significantly affects its mechanical properties. The main purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between pore structure changes and compressive strength after exposure to elevated temperatures. SACC samples that had been cured for 12 months were dried to a constant weight and then exposed to different temperatures (100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C), after which the compressive strength and pore structure were measured. The pore structure of SACC was quantitatively described by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and nitrogen adsorption results. The results showed that with increased temperature, the porosity of the SACC samples also increased and the pore structure was gradually destroyed. Moreover, the SACC’s compressive strength gradually decreased with increasing temperature. The relationship between compressive strength and porosity was in close agreement with the compressive strength–porosity equation proposed by Schiller. Therefore, after extensive exposure to elevated temperature, the changes in SACC’s compressive strength can be quantitatively described by the Schiller equation.