LAUSR

Abstract The major aimed at investigating the mechanism of the freeze–thaw damage to high performance concrete (HPC) under ethylene glycol (EG) deicer. In this study, three types of HPC were prepared, as well as the reference concrete (OPC0). Tests were performed to evaluate the ice-formation pressure ( I p ), determine the impact of rapid freeze–thaw cycles, study the microstructure, and evaluate the compression strength of the HPC and OPC0. The results yielded suggested that the I p and the concentration of the EG solution had a strong linear correlation. The I p of EG solution decreased with its concentration. The freeze–thaw deterioration of OPC0 in 3.5 wt% EG was greater than that of HPC, and the EG did not come into any chemical reaction with concrete hydration product. In this study, HPC blended with 20 wt% fly ash and 0.1% polypropylene fibre addition showed superior frost resistance. This could provide theoretical guidance for the concrete frost-resistance design.