Abstract:To reveal the intrinsic relationship between the non-uniform temperature field and strength development of prefabricated small box beams during high-temperature steam curing, a full-scale model high-temperature steam curing test and finite element simulation analysis on a prefabricated small box beams are conducted. By embedding temperature sensors at measurement points and combining the rebound method with standard cubic specimen compressive strength tests, the temperature field evolution and strength development patterns in different parts of the test beams are systematically analyzed. The results show that the simulated temperature-time curves are in good agreement with the measured ones, validating the accuracy of the finite element model. Strength development rate is highly correlated with the temperature gradient. The strength of the top plate grows the fastest, followed by the web, while that of the bottom plate grows the slowest. At 48 hours after steam curing, the design strengths of the three have respectively reached 98%, 96% and 90% of the designed strength. The bottom plate should be regarded as the key object for quality control in the early age period. By adopting the process of inputting 60 ℃ steam into the inner cavity and steam curing for approximately 16 hours, the strength of all parts of the box beam reaches more than 90% of the design strength within 48 hours, allowing the safe implementation of subsequent procedures such as beam moving, storage, and prestressing tensioning.