Concrete Technology
Concrete in Extreme Temperature
1. Concrete in Hot Weather
Prof. Dr. Tek Raj Gyawali
School of Engineering
Pokhara University
Concrete in Extreme Temperature
Concrete in extreme temperature can be divides as:
(1) Concrete in Hot Weather
(2) Concrete in Cold Weather
(1) Concrete in Hot Weather
Definition:
Any combination of the following conditions that tends to impair the quality of freshly mixed or hardened concrete by accelerating the rate of
moisture loss and the rate of cement hydration or otherwise causing detrimental results. Conditions are noted as high ambient temperature, high
concrete temperature, low relative humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation (ACI 305).
Hot weather can create following difficulties in fresh concrete:
increased water demand
accelerated slump loss
increased rate of setting
increased tendency for plastic cracking
difficulties in controlling entrained air
critical need for prompt early curing
If water is added to concrete to satisfy the increased water demand on account of hot weather, the properties and serviceability of the hardened
concrete will be adversely affected resulting in the following:
decreased strength
decreased durability and watertightness
nonuniform surface appearance
increased tendency for drying shrinkage
Effects of High Concrete Temperatures Due to Hot Weather
(a) Loss of slump
Increase in concrete temperature causes significant loss of slump that is
often unadvisedly compensated for by adding more water at the jobsite.
(b) Increased water requirement
At higher temperatures a greater amount of water is required to
hold slump constant than is needed at lower temperatures. Fig. Effect of temperature on Slump loss
(c) Reduced strength
If the additional demand of water on account of high concrete
temperature is satisfied by adding water at jobsite, the w/c ratio
of concrete will be increased reducing the compressive strength
of concrete.
While increased concrete temperatures may result in an increase
in the early rate of strength gain, in the longer term, concrete
cured at lower temperatures will achieve higher ultimate
strength.
Fig. Effect of Curing temperature on long term compressive
strength
(d) Reduced setting time
High temperatures increase the rate of concrete hardening
(i.e. reduce the setting time) and therefore shorten the length
of time within which the concrete can be transported,
placed, and finished
setting time can be reduced by 2 or more hours with a 20˚F
increase in concrete temperature
Retarding admixtures can be beneficial in offsetting the
accelerating effects of high temperature
Fig. Effect of temperature on initial
setting time
Precautionary Measures Adopted in Hot Weather Concreting
(a) Cooling concrete materials
The usual method of cooling concrete is to lower the temperature of the concrete materials before mixing.
In hot weather the aggregates and water should be kept as cool as practicable, as these materials have a greater influence
on temperature after mixing than other components.
Out of the materials in concrete, water is the easiest to cool. Therefore, mixing water from a cool source should be used to
significantly lower the temperature
Use of ice in replace of some part of water is another remedy work to lower the temperature of mixed concrete.
Cooling aggregates with appropriate method before use.
(b) Preparation before concreting
Before concrete is placed, following precautions should be taken during hot weather to maintain or reduce concrete temperature:
Mixers, chutes, belts, hoppers, pump lines, and other equipment for handling concrete should be shaded, painted white, or
covered with wet burlap to reduce solar heat
Forms, reinforcing steel, and sub-grade should be fogged or sprinkled with cool water just before the concrete is placed
For slabs on ground, it is a good practice to moisten the sub-grade the evening before concreting
Restricting concrete placement to early morning, evening, or nighttime hours during extremely hot periods, especially in
arid climates
This practice has resulted in less thermal shrinkage and cracking of thick slabs and pavements
(c) Transporting, placing, finishing
Transporting and placing of concrete should be done as quickly as practical during hot weather because delays contribute to
loss of slump and an increase in concrete temperature
For this purpose, sufficient labor and equipment must be available at the jobsite to handle and place concrete immediately
upon delivery
Prolonged mixing, even at agitating speed, should be avoided and the discharge time of concrete from ready mixed concrete
drum should be limited to 1 hour or even 45 minutes
Since rapid drying of the concrete at the surface may cause plastic shrinkage cracking, floating should be done promptly
after the water sheen disappears from the surface or when the concrete can support the weight of a finisher.
(d) Measures against plastic shrinkage cracking
Plastic shrinkage cracks are cracks that sometimes occur in the surface of freshly mixed concrete soon after it has been
placed and while it has been finished. Plastic shrinkage cracks appear mostly on horizontal surfaces and can be subsequently
eliminated if preventive measures are taken.
Plastic shrinkage cracks occur when water evaporates from the surface faster than it can appear at the surface during the
bleeding process
The following conditions, singly or collectively, increase evaporation of surface moisture and therefore increase the
possibility of plastic shrinkage cracking:
o high air and concrete temperature
o low humidity
o high wind velocity
There is no way to predict with certainty when plastic shrinkage cracking will occur
Cracking is possible if the rate of evaporation exceeds certain limit.
Following precautionary measures should be adopted to minimize the possibility of plastic shrinkage cracking:
o moisten the sub-grade and forms
o moisten concrete aggregates that are dry and absorptive
o erect temporary windbreaks to reduce wind velocity over the concrete surface
o erect temporary sunshades to reduce concrete surface temperatures
o keep the freshly mixed concrete temperature low by cooling the aggregates and mixing water
o protect the concrete with temporary coverings, such as polyethylene sheeting, during any appreciable delay between
placing and finishing
o reduce time between placing and start of curing by eliminating delays during construction
(e) Curing and protection
Curing and protection are more critical in hot and cold weather than in normal weather
(i) For curing in hot weather the retaining forms should be loosened as soon as practical without damage to the concrete.
Water should then be applied at the top exposed concrete surfaces and allowed to run down inside the forms
(ii) Curing water should not be excessively cooler than the concrete. Otherwise, due to temperature differentials between the
concrete and curing water thermal stresses will be induced causing concrete cracking
(iii)The need for moist curing is greater during the first few hours after finishing
(iv)To prevent the drying of exposed concrete surfaces, moist curing should commence as soon as the surfaces are finished and
continue for at least 24 hours
(v) Application of a curing compound for protecting the cured surfaces from drying during hot weather should be preceded by
24 hours of moist curing
(e) Use of retarding admixture
In hot weather a retarding admixture may be beneficial in delaying the setting time
Retarding admixtures should conform to the requirements of ASTM C 494 Type B
(e) Reducing heat of hydration
Precautionary measures must be taken to cope with the generation of heat and attendant thermal volume changes to control
cracking
Thank You !
