Heat transfer analysis of infrastructures subjected to environmental actions: A finite element solver PAT

Abstract

• Thermal behavior of infrastructures exposed to environmental actions is studied. • An open source FEA code considering environmental boundary conditions is developed. • Face tilt angle and azimuth are automatically computed. • A solar radiation model is implemented. • The numerical predictions show a good approximation to the monitoring results. The non-uniform and time-varying temperature field caused by annual and daily temperature cycles and the differences in the solar radiation exposition of the surfaces have a significant effect on the infrastructure response (displacements, strains and stresses). Therefore, before performing the mechanical analysis for the critical assessment of the structural condition, it is mandatory to proceed with the determination of the temperature distribution. Contrary to other thermal load, environmental actions vary in daily and annual cycles. Moreover, solar radiation also depends on the orientation of the surface with respect to the Sun rays. Therefore, a conventional thermal finite element code should be modified in order to deal with these two particular issues. The aim of this paper is to describe the solution strategies that allow the application of the environmental boundary conditions in a finite element analysis and to provide an open source code to the community that deals with the safety of critical infrastructures. Two different examples illustrate the good performance of the developed code.