CM

CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM 425
Concrete Technology

Progress in Concrete Technology

Mass
Concrete /
Dams

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Thermal Stresses in Concrete

ƒ Cracking due to volumetric changes
ƒ Shrinkage
ƒ Thermal ⇐
ƒ Autogenous
ƒ Mass concrete is a concrete where thermal
stresses is a concern.
ƒ Basic mechanism for thermal stresses
ƒ Stage I: Generation of heat due to cement
hydration.
ƒ Stage II: After the hydration process, there is a
decrease in temperature.
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CM
CM 425
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Thermal Stresses in Concrete

ƒ Factors affecting thermal stresses
ƒ Elastic modulus E = Va Ea + V p E p
ƒ Coefficient of thermal expansion α = Vaα a + V pα p
ƒ where: Va & Vp = volume fraction of aggregate and Paste
αa & αp = coefficients of thermal expansion of
aggregate and paste
ƒ Adiabatic (no heat loss through the boundary) temperature
rise
Adiabatic temperature
rise in mass concrete
containing 376 lb/yd3
cement of different types
3

Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 1
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Thermal Stresses in Concrete

σ = Eε ⇒ ε = αΔT ⇒ σ = REαΔT
ƒ Where: σ = Thermal stresses
R = Restraint (0 < R < 1)
E = Modulus of elasticity
α = Coefficient of thermal expansion
ΔT = Temperature drop
⎧E Very little you can do about E
⎪ and α because they are function
ƒ You have control on: ⎨ α of aggregate available on site
⎪ΔT
⎩
ƒ The only control you have is the amount of
temperature drop, ΔT.
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CM
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Thermal Stresses in Concrete

ƒ Computation of ΔT:
Temperature
change with time

ΔT = Placement temperature of fresh concrete +

Adiabatic temperature rise – Ambient temperature
– Temperature drop due to heat losses.
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CM
CM 425
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Thermal Stresses in Concrete

ƒ “Wish list” to minimize thermal stresses:
1. Aggregate with low coefficient of thermal expansion
2. Cement with low C3A
3. Insulating forms
4. Cast concrete at night / early morning
5. Use ice instead of water
6. Pre-cool aggregate and cement
7. Post cooling – embedded pipes
8. Provide joints (for expansion and movement
9. Less amount of cement
10. Use pozzolans
11. Use liquid nitrogen
12. Use thin layers
13. Use large size aggregates 6

Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 2
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Thermal Stresses in Concrete

Applications
ƒ Hoover Dam 1935 2.4 million m3 of concrete
ƒ Grand Coulee Dam 1942 8.0 “ “
ƒ Shasta Dam 1945 4.5 “ “
ƒ ASTM Type IV low heat portland cement
ƒ Concrete was post-cooled by circulating cold water through
the embedded pipes.
ƒ The heights and schedules of placement were controlled.
⇒All three dams remained free of
objectionable cracks and leakage.
ƒ In construction of Glen Canyon Dam (1963), Dworshak
(1973), and liberty Dam (1975) pre-cooling and post-
cooling were used in combination (in all, ΔT < 14°C)
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CM
CM 425
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Thermal Stresses in Concrete

ƒ Post-cooling in Hoover Dam (early 1930s) was the first major
application. The cooling was achieved by circulating cold water
through thin-wall steel pipes embedded in the concrete.
ƒ The first use of pre-cooling of concrete materials to reduce
maximum temperature of mass concrete was at Norfolk Dam
(early 1940s). A part of mixing water was introduced into
concrete as crushed ice so that the temperature of in-place
fresh concrete was limited to 6°C. Generally, the lower the
temperature of concrete when it passes from a plastic state to
an elastic state, the less will be the tendency toward cracking.
ƒ Surface Insulation: The purpose of surface insulation is not
to restrict the temperature rise, but to regulate the rate of
temperature drop so that the stress differences due to steep
temperature gradients between the concrete surface and the
interior are reduced.

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Large Dams

Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 3
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Large Dams

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CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Large Dams

11

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Large Dams

12

Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 4
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Large Dams

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CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Large Dams

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CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Large Dams

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Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 5
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Heat Loss from Solid Bodies

θ0 = Initial temperature difference

θm = Final temperature difference

h2 = Thermal diffusivity

k
h2 =
cρ
k = Conductivity
c = Specific heat
ρ = density
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CM
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425 Concrete Technology

Sample Problem
At a certain elevation, an arch
concrete dam is 70 ft. thick and has
a mean temperature of 100°F. If
exposed to air at 65°F, how long
will it take to cool to 70°F?

Assume thermal diffusivity of

concrete, h2=1.20 ft2/day.
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CM
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Sample Problem Solution

0.18

18

Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 6
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Sample Problem Solution

θ 0 = Initial tem peratu re d ifference = 100°F - 65°F = 35°F

θ m = Final tem peratu re d ifference = 70°F - 65°F = 5°F
θm 5
= = 0.142 ← Slab
θ 0 35

From the “Heat loss for solid bodies” chart:

h2t
= 0.18
D2
0.18 D 2 0.18(70 )
2
t= = = 735 days
h2 1.20

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CM
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Three Gorges Dam in China

ƒ Goals
ƒ Flood control
ƒ Navigation
improvement
ƒ Power generation
ƒ Location
ƒ Yangtze River
downstream from Three
Gorges
ƒ World’s Largest:
ƒ Height 181 meters
ƒ Power 18 200 MW
ƒ Reservoir volume 39.3
billion m3
ƒ Concrete volume 27.94
million m3
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CM
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Three Gorges Dam Timeline

ƒ 1919 - Sun Yat-sen proposed project
ƒ 1931 and 1935 - Floods killed over 200,000
people
ƒ 1944 - J. L. Savage, the chief designer of both
the Grand Coulee and Hoover dams, sent by
United States Bureau of Reclamation to survey
area and consult with Chinese engineers
ƒ 1970 - Construction began on Gezhouba dam
ƒ 1992 - Chinese Government adopted official
plan for the dam project
ƒ 2009 - Expected completion of the TGP
21

Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 7
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Three Gorges Dam

Stages of Construction

ƒ Phase 1 (1993-1997)
ƒ Water diversion channel
ƒ Construction of transverse cofferdams
ƒ Phase 2 (1998-2003)
ƒ Construction of the spillway, left powerhouse and navigation facilities
ƒ Phase 3 (2004-2009)
ƒ construction of the right bank powerhouse
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CM
CM 425
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Three Gorges Dam

Structure of Gravity Dam

ƒ Triangular shape
ƒ Vertical Upstream
face
ƒ Uniformly sloped
Downstream face
ƒ Grout curtain

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CM
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Three Gorges Dam

Sedimentation
ƒ Major concern for engineers
ƒ Potential cause of:
ƒ Abrasion of spillway and structure
ƒ Accelerated wear of turbine runners
ƒ Increased pressure on dam structure
ƒ Prevention measures:
ƒ Dikes to prevent sediment from settling
ƒ Silt-flushing outlets in the water intakes
ƒ Erosion prevention via tree planting
ƒ Dredging to remove build up
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Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 8
CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology
Mass Concrete

CM
CM 425
425 Concrete Technology

Impacts of the TGP

ƒ Positive ƒ Negative
ƒ Flood control ƒ Population relocation:
ƒ Power generation: 1.2 million people
18,200 MW installed must move
capacity ƒ Loss of farmland
ƒ Navigation ƒ Flooding of cultural
improvement: sea- relics: historical
faring ships able to landmarks and
travel additional remnants of ancient
630km upriver civilizations

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Professor Kamran M. Nemati

Fall Quarter 2007 9