Modelling the cooling of concreate by piped water
Date
2009-03-25
Authors
Myers, T.G.
Fowkes, N.D.
Ballim, Y.
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Abstract
Piped water is used to remove hydration heat from concrete blocks during construction. In this paper we develop an approximate model for this process. The problem reduces to solving a one-dimensional heat equation in the concrete, coupled with a first order differential equation for the water temperature. Numerical results are presented and the effect of varying model parameters shown. An analytical solution is also provided for a steady-state constant heat generation model. This helps highlight the dependence on certain parameters and can therefore provide an aid in the design of cooling systems.
Description
Large concrete structures are usually made sequentially in a series of blocks.
After each block is poured it must be left to cool and shrink for a period depending on its size,
but typically for around 1 week, before the next block is poured. The reason for the delay is that the
mixture of cement and water, which constitute the binding agent of the concrete, results in a series of
hydration reactions that generate heat.
Keywords
Concrete, Pipe flow, Thermal analysis, Mathematical models, Cooling