The paper presents the main results obtained from experimental and numerical investigations of the thermal and mechanical behaviors observed during curing of a massive concrete element made with type 20M cement. An experimental concrete block 920 mm in diameter and 1000 mm in thickness was instrumented with thermocouples and vibrating-wire strain gages in order to monitor the early age behavior of mass concrete. A numerical model was used to predict the temperature field that occurs in the concrete element upon hydration of cement. The modeling of the mechanical behavior was achieved using a law that accounts for autogenous shrinkage. The experimental results illustrate the importance of selecting the type of cement for use in mass concrete. The data provided by the numerical models are in good agreement with the experimental results. Key words: dam, mass concrete, deformation, finite elements, thermal gradient, instrumentation, autogenous shrinkage, temperature. [Journal translation]