Simulation of temperature and stress fields during RCC dam construction

The worldwide experience in the construction of roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dams together with the use of numerical solutions, allows the simulation of different scenarios in a computer. It is well documented that thermal control is one of the most important problems for RCC dam construction. The dam temperature changes due to the heat produced by the internal hydration of concrete and the environmental boundary conditions influencing the elastic modulus and creep properties of concrete. The construction process was simulated to study how the temperature and stress change during dam construction. The numerical methodology considers the effect of temperature on the elastic modulus and the creep behavior of concrete. A 3D finite-element program was developed to simulate the construction process. An engineering application of this methodology is presented by simulating the construction of an RCC gravity dam in southern China. The results show how the temperature and stress change with the construction process. The results also show that it is feasible to build RCC dams in low temperature seasons without additional temperature control measures.