A Simplified Method for Real-Time Prediction of Temperature in Mass Concrete at Early Age

Abstract

According to the practice of temperature control in dam concrete, within a few days after a concrete block is poured, the temperature at the core of the concrete rises rapidly. The maximum temperature may still exceed the standard even under a relatively perfect post-cooling system, which is mostly caused by failure to quickly and correctly judge the development of the early-age temperature. This study investigates concrete temperature at an early age via in situ monitoring data collected from Baihetan arch dam and Wudongde arch dam. A simplified algorithm of temperature prediction is formed, which only considers the heat released by cement hydration and the cooling effect of cooling pipes. The influence of a cooling pipe on the measuring point of the thermometer is investigated, and a simple empirical formula to calculate the cooling effect is obtained. An equation for the rate of hydration temperature rise is achieved by combining measured data and the formula used to calculate the cooling effect. Furthermore, through the explorations of the related data, it is determined that the cement hydration ratio of the two dams is quite low during concreting. On the basis of the data collected from the field, the method to predict temperature proposed in this study is tested and proven.