Evaluation of a Quick Heat Generation Index Test for Characterization of Cementitious Materials

This paper evaluates a quick heat generation test to flag changes in cementitious materials in the field. The effects of initial water temperature and initial cement temperature on the quick heat generation curve were evaluated. The effects of different cement chemistries were also studied. Parameters measured include maximum paste temperature at 15 minutes, cement fineness, and cement chemistry. A relationship exists between the both the initial water temperature and the temperature of the paste at 15 minutes and the initial cement temperature and the temperature of the paste at 15 minutes. A linear relationship also exists between the initial paste temperature and the final paste temperature for a single cement source. Laboratory results showed that the quick heat generation test is capable of identifying changes in cement chemistry between different cement sources and the results are reproducible.