Determination of Temperature Stresses during the Construction of Massive Monolithic Foundation Slabs, Taking into Account the Subgrade Compliance

Abstract

Background The problem of early cracking caused by the heat of concrete hardening is relevant for massive reinforced concrete structures, including foundation slabs. The purpose of this work is to develop the methodology for determining temperature stresses during the construction of foundation slabs, taking into account the interaction with the subgrade. Methods The Pasternak elastic foundation model with two-bed coefficients is used for the soil. The temperature of the foundation slab is considered a function of only one coordinate z (temperature changes only along the thickness of the slab). As a result, to determine the stress-strain state of the slab, a fourth-order differential equation for deflection was obtained. A technique for numerically solving the resulting equation using the finite difference method is proposed. The calculation of the stress-strain state is preceded by the calculation of the temperature field, which is performed by the finite element method in a simplified one-dimensional formulation. Results The solution to the test problem is presented for a constant modulus of elasticity of concrete over time. The results were compared with finite element calculations in a three-dimensional formulation in the ASNYS software. The calculation was also performed taking into account the dependence of the mechanical characteristics of concrete on its degree of maturity. In this case, the picture of the stress-strain state changes significantly. The proposed method was also successfully tested on experimental data. Conclusion The proposed approach can significantly save calculation time compared to the finite element analysis in a three-dimensional setting.