Early-age thermal cracking behavior of high-speed railway bridge piers in plateau regions: Formwork removal recommendations

Abstract

High-speed railway (HSR) bridge piers in high-altitude areas frequently face the challenge of early-age thermal cracking. This study employed numerical simulation methods to analyze the early-age temperature field, deformation field, and cracking risk of HSR bridge piers, considering three factors: binder content, cement types, and formwork types. The results show that the cracking risk slightly increases with a higher content of cementitious materials. However, this risk can be mitigated by selecting cements with lower heat of hydration and formwork materials with higher thermal conductivity. A variable termed “representative temperature rise for unit concrete” was proposed to integrate these three factors and comprehensively reflect the inherent thermal property of the pier. Subsequently, three linear regression models for predicting the demolding age of HSR bridge piers were established. These models empower engineers to determine the earliest feasible time for formwork removal without the need for complex computational analyses.

Keywords

mass concrete / hydration heat / finite element analysis / cracking risk / prediction model

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