Higher safety with cooled concrete

When cement hardens as the concrete binds, so-called hydration heat is generated. Although this is not of importance in small structures, with large concrete quantities hydration heat can cause significant problems. This is especially the case in tunnel and bridge construction. The temperature in fresh concrete can increase by up to 25°C, and the volume expands. After binding, the concrete cools once more and then contracts, which can cause tension cracks. For this reason the processing temperature of the concrete should be lowered from the outset to ensure that the maximum temperature during binding does not exceed a defined value. Although these values vary from one structure to another and from one country to another, a cooling plant should be used in high ambient summer temperatures to ensure process stability.

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