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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Comparative Study of Simulation of Temperature Rise in Ring Main Unit
Published on: July 5, 2024
Temperature-Rise Suppression Concrete Incorporating Steel-Encapsulated SAP-Water Phase-Change Aggregates:
Heng Yin1, Tianheng Yuan1, Zongjin Li1
1Department of Engineering Science, Faculty of Innovation Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology, Avenida Wai Long, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China.
None:
Early-age temperature rise in mass concrete can generate substantial thermal gradients and increase the risk of cracking. In this study, a temperature-rise suppression concrete was developed by partially replacing conventional coarse aggregate with steel-encapsulated superabsorbent polymer (SAP)-water phase-change aggregates. Semi-adiabatic temperature-rise tests were conducted to characterize the early-age thermal response, and the corresponding adiabatic temperature-rise histories were reconstructed using a heat-loss compensation method. The results showed that the incorporation of steel-encapsulated SAP-water aggregates reduced the temperature rise and delayed the thermal peak under semi-adiabatic conditions. For SAP-15, the peak core temperature in the validated finite element simulation decreased from 51 °C to 44 °C, while the maximum adiabatic temperature rise decreased to 40.5 °C. Engineering-scale simulation of a bridge pile-cap foundation further showed reductions in internal peak temperature, temperature difference, and thermal stress. These findings demonstrate that steel-encapsulated SAP-water phase-change aggregates provide an effective material-based strategy for moderating early-age thermal accumulation and mitigating thermal cracking risk in mass concrete.
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