Thermally induced cracks due to temperature gradient in mass concrete have adverse effects on its durability and service life. Heat released during the hydration of Portland cement in early age mass concrete can be quite excessive depending on the ambient temperature, cement content of the concrete mix and the size. Finite difference model using Crank Nicholson implicit method was developed based on the two dimensional unsteady state heat conduction. Optimized MATLAB based software was developed for simulation and data visualization. A mass concrete block cast with standard mix ratio and water cement ratio was used to verify the efficacy of the model. Type-K thermocouple and digital thermometer were used to monitor the temperature at time intervals. The temperature profile showed a hotter core and cooler surface except for the initial placement temperature, which exhibited a uniform temperature for all thermocouple locations. Peak temperature values were recorded within the first day of concrete placement. The model successfully predicted the temperature profile of the mass concrete at early ages of cement hydration. With the knowledge of the ambient temperature and the configuration of the mass concrete, the model can reliably predict the temperature profile from which potential for thermal cracks occurrence can be determined to enable suitable proactive preventive and control measures.
Thermally induced cracks have far-reaching implications on the durability of concrete structures. When cement mixes with water, the reaction is exothermic implying the release of heat. In the case of mass concrete structures, quite a substantial increase in internal temperature may be experienced depending on the ambient temperature and cement content in the mix. The objective of the paper is to develop a mathematical model to predict the time dependent temperature profile in early age mass concrete. Mass concrete block was used to verify the model. Type-K thermocouples placed at various positions and digital thermometer was used to monitor the temperature distribution within the mass concrete block at intervals. The highest temperature values occurred within the core of the mass concrete after one day of concrete placement. Analytical model was developed by applying method of separation of variables and orthogonality relation to two dimensional unsteady state heat conduction equations. The model equation was evaluated and using MATLAB based computer programe. The model successfully predicted the temperature variation within the mass concrete with time. It is therefore suitable for use in the assessment of thermal cracks potential in mass concrete structures.
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