Investigation of temperature development and cracking control strategies of mass concrete: A field monitoring case study

Abstract

High-temperature conditions formed by cement hydration in mass concrete structures will cause a significant risk of temperature-induced stresses and cracking, making it critical to focus on temperature development and cracking control methods. This paper presented a case study for the construction of a mass concrete tunnel in Shantou City, China. The thermal performance and cracking risks of components were first analyzed theoretically, and the effect of cooling water pipes was estimated. Afterward, the temperature development of each component was continuously monitored during concrete curing, and two cracking control methods (gradient concrete and plastic anti-crack grid) were proposed. The results indicated that the side wall exhibited the highest cracking risk among all of the components, and cooling water pipes were not employed, as their effect on the temperature field was not perceptible. Moreover, the simulated results corresponded well with actual temperature development, and the two proposed cracking control methods were validated by actual crack observations. Compared with the plastic anti-crack grid method, the gradient concrete method had a superior effect on cracking control and could simultaneously reduce the component temperature. Hence, this method was highly recommended for practical applications.

Keywords

• Case study
• Mass concrete
• Tunnel
• Temperature development
• Cracking control method