Numerical implementation of temperature and creep in mass concrete

Mass concrete generates internal heat during the hydration period that occu rs soon after casting. Added to these internal heat changes are the environ mental conditions that the structure is subjected to during its design life . These thermal changes in the material affect the elastic and creep proper ties of the material, and in turn, the stress fields within the structure. The numerical implementation of these factors is illustrated in a three-dim ensional finite element program that simulates the construction process of mass. The mathematical formulation, the numerical implementation and other implementation details are presented herein. The temperature and stress var iation of a concrete block was analyzed and results show that temperature p lays an important role in concrete structures. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B. V. All rights reserved.