Analytical Method for Predicting Early Age Thermal Effects in Thick Foundation Slabs

Prediction of hydration temperature and induced stresses in mass foundation slabs, due to the hydration effects is a difficult task. The complexity of this issue is compounded by transient and non-linear thermo-mechanical phenomena as well by a significant number of contributing technological and material factors that affect the early-age volume changes. This is a probable reason for the limited number of simple analytical methods allowing for the estimation of these effects. This work presents a new proposal in the discussed field. The submitted analytical method for determining the hydration temperature rise, its differentials at a cross-section and induced thermal stresses in mass concrete foundation slabs considers the majority of important technological and material factors, such as the initial temperature of the concrete, the ambient temperature, the thermal properties of the concrete and the heat exchange conditions on the slab surfaces. In stress analysis, both self-balanced and restraint stresses are calculated. Finally, the method is validated in FE analysis conducted for the slabs with various heights and made of different types of cements, as well as by the thermal measurements from the construction site. Due to the limited number of methods allowing for the analytical estimation of the early age thermo-mechanical effects in slabs, this new proposal can be useful in the assessment of these effects.