| Progressive Gradual Spalling (Sloughing Off) | ||
| Sloughing Off is the form of spalling that is caused by strength loss due to internal
cracking (mesolevel) and chemical deterioration of the cement paste (micro-level). This type of spalling is related to the attained temperature of the concrete (instead of heating rate). If the concrete is heated to a very high temperature the strength will be too low to carry its own weight, causing small pieces of concrete to fall down without much sound. This type of spalling is likely to occur on a slab heated from below, since gravity will pull the cracked pieces of concrete from the cross section. |