Abstract
The paper deals with a concept of a practical computation method to simulate the temperature distribution in an extradosed bridge deck. The main goal of the study is to develop a feasible model of hardening of concrete consistent with in-situ measurement capabilities. The presented investigations include laboratory tests of high performance concrete, measurements of temperature evolution in the bridge deck and above all, numerical simulations of temperature field in a concrete box bridge girder. A thermal conductivity equation in the author’s program, using finite difference method has been solved. New approach for identification of the model parameters and boundary conditions (heat transfer coefficients) has been proposed. The numerical results are verified by means of a wide set of experimental tests carried out on three stages of the extradosed bridge studies. A high agreement between the concrete temperature distribution in the time and space domain was obtained. The temperature history of concrete hardening, supplemented with maturity method equations, made it possible to estimate an early-age compressive strength of the cast-in-place concrete. The proposed solution could be applied in a Structural Health Monitoring system for concrete objects.
Highlights
IntroductionDurability and rapid construction process is one of the major challenges for the concrete industry
Attention to the quality, durability and rapid construction process is one of the major challenges for the concrete industry
Too high temperature gradient generates an increase in thermal-shrinkage stresses, what could be the reason of exceeding the tensile strength and as a consequence cracking occurrence [1]
Summary
Durability and rapid construction process is one of the major challenges for the concrete industry. ElSafty et al [5] developed the complex tool (The Deck Cracking Spreadsheet) to predict the early-age cracking of concrete bridge. The main purpose of this work is the determination of thermophysical model parameters of CIP concrete for numerical modeling of concrete temperature distribution in the bridge deck, as a part of the service offered by the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system. The well-defined model parameters and initial-boundary conditions corresponding to the real environmental conditions at the construction site are the basis of reliable predictions of the in-place concrete temperature distribution. A novel element of the paper is a complex proposition to identify model parameters and boundary conditions i.e., the heat transfer coefficients of free and protected concrete surfaces. Based on the temperature field and augmented maturity method, the dates of prestressing of individual sections of bridge deck, was determined
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