Ice Formation Mechanisms in Normal and High-Performance Concrete Mixtures

This paper presents a critical analysis of the mechanisms of ice formation in highperformance materials. The process of ice formation in ordinary and high-performance concrete mixtures is first investigated by low-temperature calorimetry. Three concrete mixtures (with water-to-cement ratios of 0.25, 0.35, and 0.45) were prepared and tested. The mechanisms of ice formation were also studied from a theoretical point of view using a numerical model. In this analysis, special attention is placed on the phenomenon of solid/liquid interface propagation. Test results indicate that a reduction of the waterto-cement ratio contributes to refine the concrete pore structure and limit the amount of ice formed between 0 and –55°C. However, low-temperature measurements and theoretical calculations show that it is hardly possible to totally impede ice formation in cement-based materials. According to both types of analysis, ice formation in highperformance concrete mixtures is most certainly initiated by the propagation of a solid/liquid interface.