What Is Freeze/Thaw?
The freeze/thaw test is one in which a water-saturated sample is repeatedly frozen and thawed to assess damage caused by the expansion of water in the pores. It is a durability indicator for construction materials.
Purpose of Freeze/Thaw
The purpose is to verify that porous construction materials used outdoors resist deterioration in cold climates.
Which Products Is Freeze/Thaw Applied To?
- Concrete and precast elements
- Natural stone and aggregate
- Brick and ceramic tile
- Plaster and mortar
- Road paving materials
In Which Sectors Is Freeze/Thaw Used?
Standards Related to Freeze/Thaw
- EN 1367-1
- ASTM C666
- EN 12371
- EN 1338
- TS EN 13748
Freeze/Thaw Conditions
- Cycle
- Freezing and thawing temperatures and times defined in the standard
- Doygunluk
- Samples are saturated with water before testing
- Number of cycles
- Defined in specification (e.g. 10, 25, 56, 300 cycles)
- Environment
- Freezing in air or water; determines the standard method
Equipment for Freeze/Thaw
- Freeze-thaw chamber
- Water saturation setup
- Precision balance
- Compressive strength test machine (for post-cycle measurement)
Sample Requirements for Freeze/Thaw
- Specimen size is prepared per the relevant standard
- Initial mass and, if required, strength must be measured
- Samples must be brought to saturation before the test
- Generally at least three specimens per set
Duration of Freeze/Thaw
Depends on the number of cycles. A 56-cycle programme takes a few weeks, and a 300-cycle programme takes months.
Freeze/Thaw Procedure
- 1Samples are brought to saturation and their masses measured.
- 2The cycle programme is loaded into the chamber.
- 3The defined number of freeze-thaw cycles is run.
- 4Visual inspection and mass measurement are performed at defined intervals.
- 5At the end of the programme, mass loss and, if required, strength loss are calculated.
Freeze/Thaw Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is given in the product standard as maximum mass-loss percentage or maximum strength loss.
Evaluation of Results
Mass loss, surface scaling and strength loss are assessed together. Cracking and edge spalling are recorded separately.
Freeze/Thaw Report
- Standard and method applied
- Cycle conditions and count
- Initial and final masses
- Mass-loss and strength-loss percentages
- Visual inspection and photographs
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Construction Products Regulation (CPR)
- Construction material product standards
Environmental and Climatic Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Freeze/Thaw test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Environmental testing shows whether a product withstands ambient factors such as temperature, humidity, pressure, solar radiation, dust, water and corrosive atmospheres. The aim is not to break the product but to bring forward, in ACCELERATED form, the conditions it will meet over its life.
Test profiles are derived from the product's real exposure, and that derivation is the actual engineering work of the field. A device operating in an enclosed office and one mounted on a pole are not tested with the same profile. The IEC 60068 series defines general methods, MIL-STD-810 military profiles, RTCA DO-160 aviation profiles and the ISO 16750 series location-based automotive profiles. A test applied without a profile selection produces both unnecessary cost and false confidence.
Temperature tests simulate three separate phenomena and all three produce different failure modes. Steady high/low temperature tests whether the material can operate at that temperature. Temperature CYCLING creates fatigue at joints between materials with different expansion coefficients — solder cracks appear here. Thermal SHOCK intensifies this effect through an abrupt transition.
There is a distinction in humidity testing too. Steady damp heat shows the diffusion of moisture into the material and its effect on insulation properties. Cyclic damp heat creates condensation: water droplets form on the cooling surface, and this is far more aggressive than dry humidity. Water ingress into enclosures, increased leakage current and corrosion usually appear in the cyclic test.
Dust and water protection is a separate body of work and is expressed by the IP code. The point to note here is that an IP test is not a DURABILITY test: it shows that protection is provided under defined and short-duration conditions, not resistance to long-term immersion or pressure washing.
The most common mistake in this family is translating a test result directly into a LIFE PREDICTION. Accelerated tests are designed for comparison and design verification; a reliable conversion between hours in a chamber and years in the field can only be established with a material-specific acceleration model calibrated against field data.
Functional monitoring determines the value of the test. Keeping a product in a temperature chamber and then switching it on does not show what happened DURING the test. In critical applications the product is operated throughout the test and its parameters are monitored; intermittent faults that appear and disappear can only be caught this way.
Method groups in this field
Temperature
Dry heat, cold, change of temperature and thermal shock; steady and cyclic profiles.
Humidity
Steady damp heat and cyclic damp heat; cycles with condensation are more aggressive.
Water and dust
IP protection tests: dripping, spraying, jets, immersion and dust tightness.
Radiation and ageing
Accelerated ageing by xenon arc and fluorescent UV, solar radiation simulation.
Pressure and altitude
Low pressure (altitude) and rapid pressure change tests.
Corrosive atmosphere
Salt spray, mixed flowing gas corrosion (simulating industrial atmospheres), mould and fungus tests.
Commonly confused in this field
- Test duration cannot be converted into field life; a conversion made without an acceleration model is misleading.
- Temperature cycling and steady temperature produce different failure modes; neither replaces the other.
- If the product is not operated during the test, intermittent faults remain invisible; functional monitoring determines the value of the test.
- IP protection is not evidence of durability; it shows protection under defined and short-duration conditions.
- A test applied without profile selection both increases cost and gives false confidence.
- The mounting and orientation arrangement affects the result; the report must document it.
Which decisions these results support
- Design verification and qualification
- Declaration of the protection class and operating temperature range
- Reproducing field failures in the laboratory and root cause analysis
- Supplier component approval
- Decisions on warranty period and storage conditions
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Freeze/Thaw
According to which standard is Freeze/Thaw made?
Freeze/Thaw is executed in scope EN 1367-1, ASTM C666, EN 12371, EN 1338 and TS EN 13748. The limit values and acceptance criteria to be applied are defined in the product standard; The version valid for your product is confirmed in writing at the offer stage.
Which products does Freeze/Thaw apply to?
Mainly applied to Concrete and precast elements, Natural stone and aggregate, Brick and ceramic tile, Plaster and mortar and Road paving materials. Whether your product is included in the scope is determined by examining its technical specifications and intended use.
Under what conditions is Freeze/Thaw done?
The determining parameters are: Cycle — Freezing and thawing temperatures and times defined in the standard, Doygunluk — Samples are saturated with water before testing and Number of cycles — Defined in specification (e.g. 10, 25, 56, 300 cycles). The full terms are in the "Test Conditions" section on the page and vary depending on the product standard.
What kind of sample is needed for Freeze/Thaw?
Specimen size is prepared per the relevant standard, Initial mass and, if required, strength must be measured and Samples must be brought to saturation before the test. The number of samples is determined according to the product standard and the scope to be reported.
How long does Freeze/Thaw take?
Depends on the number of cycles. A 56-cycle programme takes a few weeks, and a 300-cycle programme takes months. This duration belongs to the experiment itself; sample preparation, queuing and reporting are also evaluated. A realistic schedule for your product is given in the offer.
What is the Freeze/Thaw result called "appropriate"?
The acceptance criterion is given in the product standard as maximum mass-loss percentage or maximum strength loss.