Prediction of uniform temperature effect on rectangular hollow concrete pier based on measured temperature data

Area of Science:

• Civil Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Concrete structures, particularly bridges, experience temperature fluctuations impacting their performance and longevity.
• Accurate prediction of concrete pier temperature variations is crucial for structural health monitoring and maintenance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an accurate and accessible model for predicting the average temperature variation in concrete rectangular hollow piers.
• To establish the relationship between external/internal air temperatures and the pier's average temperature.

Main Methods:

• Observation of temperature distribution in a concrete rectangular hollow pier over 212 days.
• Analysis of functional relationships between pier temperature and ambient/internal air temperatures.
• Development and verification of a prediction model for mean temperature variation.

Main Results:

• External shade temperature changes can be modeled as cyclic and random variations.
• Concrete hollow pier temperature changes mirror air temperature patterns, showing daily cycles and step changes.
• High linear correlation coefficients (R > 0.97) were found between pier temperatures and daily average air temperatures, and between internal and external air temperatures.

Conclusions:

• The proposed prediction model effectively forecasts the average temperature of concrete hollow piers.
• The model's predictions show good agreement with measured values, validating its accuracy.
• This research provides a valuable tool for assessing and managing the thermal behavior of concrete bridge piers.