Temperature control and cracking prevention in coastal thin-wall concrete structures

Abstract

A three-dimensional finite element program for thermal analysis of hydration heat in concrete structures with a plastic pipe cooling system is introduced in this paper. The program was applied to simulation of the temperature and stress field of the Cao'e Sluice during the construction period. From the calculated results, we can find that the temperature and stress of concrete cooled with plastic pipes are much lower than those of concrete without pipes. Moreover, plastic pipes could not be corroded by seawater. That is to say, a good effect of temperature control and cracking prevention can be achieved, which provides a useful reference for other similar nearshore concrete projects.

Keywords

• coastal structures
• plastic pipe cooling
• temperature control
• cracking prevention
• steel corrosion