A Study on Adiabatic Temperature Rise Test and Temperature Stress Simulation of Rock-Fill Concrete

Abstract

In the present study, we investigate the effect of the adiabatic temperature rise property of rock-fill concrete (RFC) on the temperature stress and crack resistance of RFC gravity dams. We conducted tests on the adiabatic temperature rise of RFC with a rock-fill ratio of 42%, 49%, and 55%, respectively. Based on the regression analysis of the test data, a calculation model of the adiabatic temperature rise, considering the rock-fill ratio, is developed, and the finite element analysis software ANSYS is employed to simulate the whole process of the temperature and temperature stress fields of a RFC gravity dam. The main findings of the study are as follows: (1) Both the adiabatic temperature rise rate and the final adiabatic temperature rise of RFC are negatively correlated with the rock-fill ratio. (2) The calculation model of the adiabatic temperature rise of RFC is characterized by its high accuracy, which can help predict the adiabatic temperature rise of RFC with different rock-fill ratios. (3) Without any temperature control measures, the maximum temperature stress of RFC generated by the temperature rise of hydration heat in the RFC gravity dam is 0.93 MPa, which meets the standard of temperature stress control. The results of the present study indicate that dam construction with RFC can simplify the measures of temperature control and crack prevention, improve the construction efficiency, and reduce the cost of dam construction.

Adiabatic Temperature Rise Test of Cemented Sand and Gravel (CSG) and Its Application to Temperature Stress Prediction of CSG Dam

“…Because of the effect of fly ash, the adiabatic temperature rise curve of CSG material still increased slightly at 18th days and remained stable until 24th days. Compared with [12], it can be seen that the hydration reaction rate of CSG material is slower and the reaction time is longer. e relationship between different cementing agent content and the final value of adiabatic temperature rise is presented in Figure 5.…”

“…ere is a considerable amount of literature about extensive thermal performance tests and temperature control crack prevention on ordinary concrete [6][7][8][9], RCC [10,11], rockfill concrete [12], and other materials. e investigations for the CSG materials are mainly focused on the relevant mechanical properties [13][14][15][16][17], while the impact of adiabatic temperature rise on the CSG material is not fully understood.…”

Seismic Behavior of Rock-Filled Concrete Dam Compared with Conventional Vibrating Concrete Dam Using Finite Element Method

“…Also, some discrete element numerical simulation research [14][15][16] has been carried out for the study of pouring compactness. In terms of material properties, the standard test methods for conventional concrete are not suitable for RFC; therefore, some well-designed experiments have been developed to determine the various physical properties of RFC, including static and dynamic compressive strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus, fracture energy, density, adiabatic thermal rise, frost and seepage resistance, creep, and interface behaviors [8,10,[17][18][19][20][21]. However, there is currently no relevant research focusing on the dynamic performance of RFC or comparing it to the alternatives, making it difficult to evaluate the difference in performance in comparison with CVC dams during earthquakes.…”

Construction of Roller Compacted Concrete Dams in Hot Arid Regions

“…The study concluded that, the principal stresses and the horizontal displacements were increased if the reservoir length is extended. Zhang et al [14] studied the effect of the heat of hydration on rock-fill concrete, the study indicated that, without any temperature control, construction efficiency was improved where the occurrence of cracking was prevented and, as such, the construction cost was reduced. Kuzmanovic et al [15] developed a 3D numerical model to evaluate thermal stress in RCC dams.…”