Effect of curing temperature in some hydration characteristics of calcium aluminate cement compared with those of portland cement

In the present paper the hydration of 1:3 Calcium Aluminate Cement (CAC) and Portland Cement (PC) mortars at temperatures of 5 degrees C, 20 degrees C, and 60 degrees C have been studied. An evaluation of the compressive and flexural strengths obtained from different curing conditions is made. The evolution of phases presented was also studied from XRD spectra. The relationship between the values of ultrasonic propagation velocity, UPV, (Y1-axis) and compressive strengths (Y2-axis) versus w/c ratios for CAC mortars, cured at 5 degrees C, 20 degrees C and 60 degrees C respectively, have also been obtained, at a curing age of 28 days. The great similarity of curves enables us to establish the hypothesis that it is possible to use a non destructive test as an empirical determination of compressive strength for CAC mortars with the same proportions of aggregates/cements/water as those used in the test. Abrams rule was applied in order to check the reality of this model in the CAC mortars studied. The percentage of variability of the variable response (Rc), obtained in our regression models is highly satisfactory. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.