Influence of Diurnal Temperature Variation on Concrete Mechanical Properties: Cyclic Effects and Damage Mechanisms—A Review
Keywords:
Concrete, Cyclic damage, Interfacial transition zone, Mechanical degradation, Thermal cycling.Abstract
Concrete structures are continuously exposed to daily temperature changes during their service lives. While the influence of temperature on mechanical properties has been widely examined under constant or extreme conditions, the study of the effect of realistic day–night heating and cooling cycles remains fragmented in the existing literature. Accordingly, this review synthesizes experimental and analytical studies investigating how service-level thermal cycling influences compressive strength, elastic modulus, and tensile strength.
The literature indicates that instantaneous temperature effects differ fundamentally from the response observed under repeated cycling. Under stabilized conditions, changes in strength and stiffness are largely reversible. When temperature differentials are applied repeatedly, however, cumulative damage begins to develop. The mismatch in thermal expansion between aggregates and cement paste generates localized stresses at the interfacial transition zone, promoting progressive microcracking. Moderate amplitudes may temporarily increase compressive strength due to continued hydration, but this effect diminishes as cycling continues and degradation becomes dominant. In contrast to compressive strength and modulus, direct evidence describing tensile strength evolution under realistic diurnal cycling remains limited.
Overall, repeated daily temperature variation appears to act as a low-level thermomechanical fatigue process rather than a simple temperature-dependent phenomenon. More controlled long-term experiments replicating true 24-hour environmental cycles within realistic temperature ranges (approximately 10–50 °C) are needed to clarify the long-term mechanical implications.
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