Solutions to improve the quality of mass concrete construction in the Southern Vietnam climate

Abstract

Concrete, a mixture of sand, stone, cement, water and other substances (if any), is the most widely used material in construction work.The cement can create a reaction with water to become the concrete, generating the heat that transforms the cement into stone andconcrete. This phenomenon is called heat from hydration. Related units such as investor, design consultant, supervisory consultant,construction unit rarely pay attention to the hydration heat phenomenon when constructing the foundation structure of high-risebuildings due to the Vietnamese standard of TCVN 9341:2012 “Mass concrete-construction and acceptance” conventionalizes theneed to pay attention to the hydratio phenomenon. With 2 distinct rainy and sunny seasons, Southern Vietnam is a region with atropical monsoon climate. The southwestern monsoon affects the rainy season, so the rate of rainfall is very high. Thermal radiation isalso higher in the dry season relative to other areas. These hot and humid climates have a significant impact on the quality of concreteand reinforced concrete, especially in the hardening and forming process of the original concrete structure. During the early hardening time, the sunny weather, hot and dry air makes the concrete dehydrate easily, producing a hollow structure that decreases the waterproofing strength and capacity or allows the concrete surface to crack. This ability is also enhanced by high solar radiation and strong winds. The article therefore proposes "Solutions to improve the quality of mass concrete construction in the Southern Vietnam climate".