Mass Concrete Thermal Control

Mass Concrete Thermal Control
2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop
Ahmad Abu-Hawash, Iowa DOT Dan Timmons, Jensen Construction
April 1, 2009
What is Mass Concrete?

ACI: any volume of concrete with
dimensions large enough to require that measures be taken to cope with generation of heat from hydration of the cement and attendant volume change to minimize cracking Intentionally vague
Page 2
April 1, 2009
Factors Affecting Mass Concrete

Concrete mix design: components Environmental condition: Ambient temperature Concrete mix temperature Differential temperature Structural design: steel reinforcement Application: bridge elements Least dimension: 3, 4, or 5?
Page 3 2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop April 1, 2009
Mass Concrete Hydration

Significant heat is generated in the first few
days after placement Expected to reach maximum temperature within 1 to 3 days after placement Heat is trapped and can not escape quickly resulting in:
Thermal Cracking
Significant temperature difference: interior of concrete is much hotter than its surface (>35F) Concrete mix getting too hot (>160F)
Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF)
Thermal Cracking
Thermal cracking develops when the tensile stress
exceeds the tensile strength of concrete:
Random map cracks in large foundation A series of vertical cracks in walls (widest near the base) Uniformly spaced cracks in beams (perpendicular to the longest dimension)
Mostly, a durability issue: easy pathways for air and
water In some severe cases, it may affect the structural capacity
Page 5
April 1, 2009
Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF)

Development of unstable hydration Long-term effect that may not show for
months or years after construction Can cause significant cracking
Page 6
April 1, 2009
Thermal Control
Objective: Eliminate thermal cracking
by controlling temperature differential and mix temperature (prior to, during and after concrete placement) Control measures should be evaluated for costs vs. benefits
Page 7
April 1, 2009
Thermal Control Measures

Optimal concrete mix design Insulation Concrete cooling before placement Concrete cooling after placement Use of smaller placements
Page 8
April 1, 2009
Optimal Concrete Mix Design

Use low-heat cement such as Type II Use Class F fly ash and/or slag as a substitute
for a portion of the cement Use low water-to-cementitious materials ratio Minimize the amount of cementitious materials in the mix Use Larger and better graded aggregates Limestone aggregates are better suited for mass concrete
2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop April 1, 2009
Page 9
Insulation
To control temperature differential: core
vs. surface Has no significant effect on maximum concrete temperature for placements of 5 or greater Typical R-value recommended: 2 to 4 hr.ft.F/Btu
Concrete Cooling before Placement

Each 1F of precooling is expected to reduce
the concrete temperature (after placement) by about the same amount Chilled water: about 5F (100% subs.) temperature reduction Chipped or shaved ice: about 15F to 20F (75% subs.) temperature reduction Liquid nitrogen (LN2): as low as 35F reduction. Very effective but the most expensive option
Page 11 2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop
April 1, 2009
Concrete Cooling after Placement

Cooling pipes: Non-corrosive piping embedded prior to concrete placement Uniformly distributed: typically 1 pipes @ 2 to 4 on center Removes heat from placed concrete by circulating cool water from a nearby source
Page 12
April 1, 2009
Smaller Placements
Multiple lifts Result in schedule delays and increased
cost due to additional effort for multiple thermal control, and horizontal joint preparation
Page 13
April 1, 2009
Case Study: I-80 over Missouri River
Page 14
April 1, 2009
Iowa Mass Concrete Specifications

Special Provision for Mass Concrete Control of
Heat of Hydration
Mix design
Cement: Type II, IP, or IS min. 560 lbs Slag and Class F fly ash substitution Maximum water to cementitious ratio = 0.45
Thermal Control Plan (per 207.4R-05 ACI)

Page 15
Concrete temperature at placement: 40F-70F Max. Concrete temperature after placement: 160F Temperature differential: 35F Temperature sensing and recording
2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop April 1, 2009
I-80 over Missouri River Thermal Control Plan

Value engineering proposal by Jensen
Construction to modify project specifications Proposed a thermal control plan based on thermal modeling by CTL
Page 16
April 1, 2009
Thermal Control Plan

Concrete Mix Maximum Concrete Temperature Temperature Difference Limit Cooling System Insulation Temperature Monitoring & Reporting
Page 17
April 1, 2009
Concrete Mix
As developed by the supplier per
project specifications
Type IP-F Cement: 420 lbs Slag: 207 lbs W/C ratio: 0.42 Class V sand-gravel: 1586 lbs Limestone: 1322 lbs Air content: 6.5%
Maximum Concrete Temperature

Initial concrete temperature based on
several-truck rolling average: maximum of 85F instead of 70F Concrete temperature after placement: maximum of 160F as per specifications
Page 19
April 1, 2009
Temperature Difference Limit

A compromise between the constant
limit and the performance-based limit Included a variable factor of safety More conservative in the early age but less conservative at the design strength Calculated specifically for the project mix design
Temperature Difference Graph

100 90 Temperature Difference Limit*, F 80 70 60 30 50 40 20 30 20 10 0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 Compressive Strength**, psi
50 Temperature Difference Limit*, C

April 1, 2009
40
* Maximum allowable temperature difference between the temperature sensor locations shown on Drawing Nos. 3 and 4. ** Actual compressive strength of the in-place concrete at the surface, not the design strength.
10
6000
0 7000
Page 21
Cooling System
Cooling piping system layout was developed
for each component (footing, stem, cap,) River water was continuously circulated through the cooling pipes until the insulation is removed Flow rate must be sufficiently high so that the water does not heat by more than 2F to 3F
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April 1, 2009
Typical Cooling System - Footing
Page 23
April 1, 2009
Typical Cooling System - Stem
Page 24
April 1, 2009
Insulation
Used on top surfaces, over side forms and to
cover protruding reinforcing steel R-values in accordance with the Thermal Control Plan To remain in place throughout the monitoring period but may be temporarily removed to prepare for additional placements
Page 25
April 1, 2009
Typical Insulation Blanket
Page 26
April 1, 2009
Temperature Monitoring & Reporting

To measure and report concrete
temperatures at critical locations (center, surface,) Two temperature sensors (a primary and backup) at each location Data is recorded on an hourly basis Report of temperature data (max. and differential) is issued
Typical Temperature Sensors
Page 28
April 1, 2009
Typical Thermal Control Graph

TCP1b Footing #: Pier 7 Column final temps Time/Date of Hour 0 :
170 160 150 Temperature or Temperature Difference, F 140 130 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 50 100 150 Hours
Page 29 2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop
Air Temperature, Center Temperature, Top Surface Temperature, Corner Temperature, Side Surface Temperature, Measured Temperature Difference, F TCP1b Temperature Difference Limit, F
200
250
300
350
April 1, 2009
Thermal Control Plan Elements

Footing Pier 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Size* 43' x 12' x 4'-6 43' x 15' x 5' 43' x 27' x 7'-3 43' x 15' x 5' 43' x 19' x 6'-6 46' x 18' x 5'-9 43' x 25'-6 x 9' 77' x 39'-7 x 10'-6 77' x 39'-7 x 10'-6 43' x 19' x 5'-3 43' x 17' x 5'-9 Date Cast 10/20/2008 11/19/2008 10/30/2008 11/4/2008 2/3/2009 11/4/2008 8/5/2008 12/30/2008 3/5/2009 1/20/2009 Cooling Pipes No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Size* 39' x 4' x 7' 38' x 5' x 19' 38' x 6' x 16' 38' x 5' x 18' 38' x 5' x 20' 38' x 8'-4 x 37' 38' x 7' x 35' 46' x 9' x 41' 46' x 9' x 34' 38' x 8'-4 x 7' 38' x 5' x 5' Stem Date Cast 12/4/2008 1/9/2009 11/21/2008 12/10/2008 2/17/2009 11/19/2008 9/3/2008 2/12/2009 3/13/2009 1/28/2009 Cooling Least Pipes Dim. No 4' No 5' No 6' No 5' No 5' 8'-4 Yes 7' Yes 9' 9' No 8'-4 5' Columns Date Cast 12/4/2008 2/18/2009 1/23/2009 3/5/2009 1/6/2009 10/15/2008 Cooling Pipes No No No No No Yes Least Dim. 4' 5' 6' 5' 5' 8'-4 7' 9' 9' 8'-4 5' Cap Date Cast 1/23/2009 3/20/2009 2/25/2009 Cooling Pipes No No No
1/22/2009 10/30/2008
No No
2/20/2009
No
3/6/2009
No
Page 30
April 1, 2009
Completion of Thermal Control

Hottest portion of concrete has reached and
begun to cool from its maximum temperature Concrete has reached and begun to cool from its maximum temperature difference At least 3 days has elapsed Difference between the hottest portion of concrete and the average air temperature is < current difference limit
Page 31
April 1, 2009
Summary
The implementation of the Thermal
Control Plan saved money and kept the project on schedule No thermal cracking in concrete was reported
Page 32
April 1, 2009
References
Iowa DOT Standard Specifications and
Special Provisions Engineering Mass Concrete Structures, November 2006 PCA by J. Gajda and E. Alsamsam ACI 207.4R-05 I-80 over Missouri River Thermal Control Plan by CTL

Mass Concrete Thermal Control

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Mass Concrete Thermal Control

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Mass Concrete Thermal Control

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Ahmad Abu-Hawash, Iowa DOT Dan Timmons, Jensen Construction

What is Mass Concrete?

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Factors Affecting Mass Concrete

Mass Concrete Hydration

exceeds the tensile strength of concrete:

Mostly, a durability issue: easy pathways for air and

water In some severe cases, it may affect the structural capacity

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF)

months or years after construction Can cause significant cracking

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Thermal Control Measures

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Optimal Concrete Mix Design

Concrete Cooling before Placement

Concrete Cooling after Placement

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Case Study: I-80 over Missouri River

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Iowa Mass Concrete Specifications

Thermal Control Plan (per 207.4R-05 ACI)

I-80 over Missouri River Thermal Control Plan

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Thermal Control Plan

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Maximum Concrete Temperature

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Temperature Difference Limit

Temperature Difference Graph

50 Temperature Difference Limit*, C

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Typical Cooling System - Footing

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Typical Cooling System - Stem

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Typical Insulation Blanket

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Temperature Monitoring & Reporting

Typical Temperature Sensors

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Typical Thermal Control Graph

Thermal Control Plan Elements

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

Completion of Thermal Control

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

2009 Structures Design Construction Quality Workshop

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