2D Linear Galerkin finite volume analysis of thermal stresses during sequential layer settings of mass concrete considering contact interface and variations of material properties. Part 2: Stress analysis

In this research, a 2D matrix-free Galerkin finite volume method on the unstructured meshes of triangular elements is utilised to compute thermal stress fields resulting from the predefined transient temperature distribution in a mass concrete structure (dam wall). In the developed numerical model, the convergence of the force equilibrium equations are achieved via some iterative solutions for each given computed temperature field. Since the mechanical properties of concrete may vary over time due to concrete ageing, the presented numerical model considers the variation of mechanical properties corresponding to the degree of concrete hydration and concrete temperature. In addition, the geometry of the dam wall and foundation is not considered integrated any longer, so the mechanical contact is considered at concrete-rock foundation interface to achieve more realistic simulations of the strain-stress fields in this part. In this work we present the comparison of thermal stress analysis numerical results (of a clamped plane which is exposed to constant temperature) with the results of finite element-based ALGOR software to assess the accuracy and efficiency of the developed model, and prove that the results correlate well. As an application of the developed model for a real-world problem, thermal stress analysis of a mass concrete structure which is gradually constructed on a natural foundation is performed with regard to variable mechanical properties.