Heterogeneous temperature characteristics considering rainfall effect during construction of an integrally-poured rock-filled concrete arch dam

Abstract

Integrally-poured arch dam with the material of rock-filled concrete (RFC) is a new and rapid construction technology for mass concrete structures. There is still limited literature regarding the heterogeneous temperature field of RFC, especially under special weather conditions. In this study, a novel mesoscale model of heterogeneous RFC was generated through a combination of the discrete element method (DEM), the finite element method (FEM), and the background grid mapping method (BGMM). Based on the monitoring experiments at the Longdongwan project, this study greatly enhances the simulation precision and details by incorporating a two-phase material of heterogeneous RFC model, i.e. the stochastic pre-laid rocks and layered SCC (self-compacting concrete), and refining the analysis time step to an hourly basis. The results show that: (1) An infinite heat convection coefficient on the exposed RFC surfaces was effective in simulating the rainfall effect, and the mesoscopic simulation results aligned well with the monitoring data. (2)The cold wave with rainfall can cause a notable drop of around 10 °C in the placement temperatures of both rocks and SCC, and lowered the temperature rise by about 5°C for the subsequent freshly poured RFC lift. (3) The hydration temperature rise was recorded the highest (13–14°C) in the areas near the dam abutment, due to challenges of placing rocks. These findings can provide insights and advice for similar construction scenarios.