Analysis of the effect of construction technology factors on controlling thermal cracking in mass concrete

Abstract

A comprehensive numerical study was conducted in this study to evaluate the effects of construction technology factors including curing temperature, initial temperature of fresh concrete mixture, type of formwork, type of cement, and cement content on controlling thermal cracking in mass concrete. The probability of cracking will also be included in the analysis to align with the trend of thermal cracking control planning in some countries today. Stress-temperature field analysis will be performed using the finite element heat flow analysis tool of Midas/Civil software. The reliability and accuracy of the proposed method are verified by comparing the analysis results with a experimental result of a mass concrete sample with dimensions of 2.5 × 2.5 × 2.5 m. Based on the validated numerical model, a parametric study was conducted on a typical mass concrete block with dimensions 5.0 × 5.0 × 5.0 m to investigate the impact of construction technology parameters on temperature development in mass concrete. The obtained results demonstrate that construction technology factors significantly affect thermal cracking in mass concrete. An effective construction solution will contribute significantly to the overall plan for controlling thermal cracking in mass concrete.