ABSTRACT
To determine the influence of the test conditions on the residual strength, TC and SCC 150 mm cubes were heated up to 350°C and 550°C. The standard test conditions as mentioned above are chosen as reference. One of these conditions is altered, while the others remain the same. The heating rate is changed from 3.5 to 10°C/min for TC and 20°C/min for SCC, whereas the duration at the target temperature is increased from 750 to 3600 minutes and the cooling regime is modified from a slow cooling into a rapid cooling by immersion under water. The cubes are not previously dried. The results show that the cooling method is the most important factor, since water cooling introduces an extra drop of the residual strength of 30-35%.
