Adiabatic Temperature Rise and Heat Release Rates for Concrete With Application to a Large-Scale Multi-Step Grouting Process

An experimental study has been performed in order to determine the thermal characteristics of a specific concrete formula to be used for a large-scale tank-grouting project. The experimental results were incorporated into finite-element numerical simulations aimed at predicting local concrete temperatures over the duration of multiple concrete pours. The pours will occur in a stepwise fashion whereby each additional concrete layer will be added while the previous layers are still undergoing the curing process. The experimental portion of the project included a series of laboratory-scale tests aimed at determining the time-dependent adiabatic temperature rise of several concrete samples and the corresponding time-dependent concrete internal heating rates. Results of the experiments were incorporated directly into the finite-element thermal model. The finite-element simulations indicated that the pour schedule did not have a strong influence on the maximum temperature in the concrete.