Thermal-Structural Modeling and Temperature Control

of Roller Compacted Concrete Gravity Dam

Abdallah I. Husein Malkawi1; Saad A. Mutasher2; and Tony J. Qiu3

Abstract: A coupled thermal-structural analysis is carried out using both a two- and a three-dimensional finite-element method. The
computer program ANSYS is used and simulates the construction process of a roller compacted concrete 共RCC兲 dam. Thermally induced
stresses are computed for the 60 m high RCC Tannur Dam in Jordan. The actual temperature distribution in the body of the dam measured
by thermocouples is compared with that obtained by ANSYS; generally, a good agreement is obtained. The study demonstrates that
detailed thermal stress analysis should be performed for large RCC dams to provide a basis to minimize and control the occurrence of
thermal cracking.
DOI: 10.1061/共ASCE兲0887-3828共2003兲17:4共177兲
CE Database subject headings: Thermal stresses; Finite element method; Dams, concrete; Cracking; Temperature effects.

Introduction Several techniques are reported in the literature for designers

In roller compacted concrete 共RCC兲 dams, large quantities of con-
crete are usually placed to form a monolithic mass-concrete struc-
ture. During placement of RCC, heat will generate by the hydra-
tion of cement. Cement tends to liberate a substantial amount of
heat, which leads to a rise in the temperature in the body of the
dam. After the peak temperature is reached, the concrete, some-
times over a period of years, cools, to a stable temperature. Such
reductions in the temperature usually lead to the following.
1. Surface gradient cracking. This generally occurs when the
reservoir is first filled. A thermal gradient develops between
the cooled surface and the hot concrete core. This change in
the temperature can generate undesirable surface thermal
stresses, which can lead to cracking at the surface of the
dam.
2. Mass gradient cracking. This occurs well after the dam is
completed, with the cooling of the central mass of the dam.
A volume reduction will occur and if such a reduction of the
volume is externally restrained, as it will be by the rock
foundation, sufficient strain can develop, causing cracking
through the dam body.
1
PhD, Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and President of
ASCE—Jordan International Group, Civil Engineering Dept., Jordan
Univ. of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan. E-mail:
mhusein@just.edu.jo
2
Research Assistant, Civil Engineering Dept., Jordan Univ. of Science
and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan. E-mail: sama64@yahoo.com
3
Senior Engineer, Gutteridge Haskins & Davey Pty Ltd., 15 Astor
Terrace, Brisbane Qld 4000, GPO Box 668, Brisbane Qld 4001, Australia.
E-mail: tonyគqiu@ghd.com.au
Note. Discussion open until April 1, 2004. Separate discussions must
be submitted for individual papers. To extend the closing date by one
month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Managing Editor.
The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and possible
publication on May 15, 2001; approved on July 3, 2002. This paper is
part of the Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities, Vol. 17,
No. 4, November 1, 2003. ©ASCE, ISSN 0887-3828/2003/4-
177–187/$18.00.
to evaluate the thermal performance of concrete, the structural
configuration, and construction requirements. These techniques
range from complex three-dimensional finite-element analysis
methods to simple manual computation. Tatro and Schrader
共1992兲, for example, provide specific guidance for performing a
thermal study for RCC structures. The U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
neers, in Engineering Technical Letter 共ETL兲 1110-2-542 共U.S.
1997兲, provides design guidance for implementing a range of
thermal analysis techniques. In this ETL, background and ex-
amples for performing several levels of less complex analyses are
presented. Zhang and Garga 共1996兲 used a two-dimensional
finite-element method for simulating the construction process of
an RCC dam. Concrete temperature and the thermally induced
stresses were determined with a personal microcomputer. Truman
et al. 共1991兲 used the finite-element program ABAQUS along with
user developed subroutines and experimentally derived material
properties to analyze by incremental construction the thermal
loads of a pile-founded mass concrete lock and dam structure.
Forbes and Williams 共1998兲 discussed thermal stress modeling,
use of high sand RCC mixes, and in situ modification of RCC for
the Cadiangullong Dam. They provided a good understanding of
the thermal condition, and, as a result, thermal stresses and con-
traction joint spacing were determined. Ishikawa 共1991兲 demon-
strated numerically that thermal cracks might be avoided to a
certain degree by determining the optimum construction method.
Ayotte et al. 共1997兲 presented details of the experimental and nu-
merical thermal studies undertaken for a large-scale mass con-
crete structure. The study presents a modified step-by-step ap-
proach, which improved the stress modeling within the available
commercial software. Crichton et al. 共1999兲 presented a thermal-
structural analysis using the ANSYS computer program to assess
the effect of heat of hydration in RCC structural stresses. The
effect of using simple linear elastic material properties on the
calculated stresses has been compared to a more complex time
variant material modulus and creep analysis. They concluded that
the simple models overestimate the initial stresses and underesti-
mate or cannot predict the long-term tensile stresses.

JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / NOVEMBER 2003 / 177

 Fig. 1. Typical cross section and thermocouple locations

In this paper, the determination of the thermal and structural
stresses and temperature control requirements is described for the
60 m high Tannur RCC Dam in Jordan. Temperature distribution
with time, concrete placement temperature limits, and joint spac-
ing requirements to minimize cracking are also discussed.
Description of Dam
The Tannur Dam is the first completed RCC dam in the Middle
East. It is a concrete gravity dam, approximately 60 m high, built
to impound the floodwater of the Wadi Al Hasa. It retains a res-
ervoir at an elevation of 400 m above sea level 共ASL兲 with a
16.8⫻106 m3 capacity. The dam is situated some 50 km south of
Karak. The yield of the reservoir will help satisfy the future water
demand for industry and agriculture in the southern Ghors. The
Tannur Dam is constructed of high paste content RCC, placed in
300 mm thick layers with a facing made of grout enriched roller
compacted concrete 共GE-RCC兲. The concrete is designed to have
a very low air void content and to achieve maximum strength and
density with minimum permeability and with a good bond be-
tween layers. The dam is founded on limestone of the Wadi As Sir
and Fuheis, Hummar Shueib Formation. A two-layer cement
grout curtain will limit the quantity of seepage.
The upstream face of the dam is vertical, with a batter of 1:1
below Elevation 356 to the foundation level. The stepped down-
stream face has a slope of 0.8共H兲: 1共V兲 共Fig. 1兲.
This profile has been adopted to reduce vertical stresses by a
more distributed loading, and to achieve higher compressive
stresses at the upstream heel due to the vertical loading—thus
reducing tensile stresses at the location under seismic loading.
The dam is a straight structure 242 m long at the crest.

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Table 1. Predicted Rolled Compacted Concrete Placement Temperature
Mean Aggregate Aggregate
monthly Mean crushing stocking Mixing Transportation Final
2
temperature annual Difference 3 Difference Subtotal added temperature added added temperaturea
Month 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲 共°C兲
January 10 18.2 ⫺8.2 ⫺5.47 12.73 1.1 13.83 1.1 ⫺0.6 14.3
February 11.1 18.2 ⫺7.1 ⫺4.73 13.47 1.1 14.57 1.1 0 15.7
March 13.6 18.2 ⫺4.6 ⫺3.07 15.13 1.1 16.23 1.1 0.6 17.9
April 17.8 18.2 ⫺0.4 ⫺0.27 17.93 1.1 19.03 1.1 0.6 20.7
May 21.5 18.2 3.3 2.2 20.4 1.1 21.5 1.1 1.1 23.7
June 24.5 18.2 6.3 4.2 22.4 1.1 23.5 1.1 1.1 25.7
July 25.5 18.2 7.3 4.87 23.07 1.1 24.17 1.1 1.7 27
August 25.6 18.2 7.4 4.93 23.13 1.1 24.23 1.1 1.7 27
September 24.2 18.2 6 4 22.2 1.1 23.3 1.1 1.1 25.5
October 21.3 18.2 3.1 2.07 20.27 1.1 21.37 1.1 0.6 23
November 16.4 18.2 ⫺1.8 ⫺1.2 17 1.1 18.1 1.1 0 19.2
December 6.7 18.2 ⫺11.5 ⫺7.67 10.53 1.1 11.63 1.1 ⫺0.6 12.2
a
Average⫽21.

Temperature Control Requirements Table 2 shows the actual data recorded for the RCC placement
temperature for the time period between June and October of
Significant thermal induced stresses are developed as a result of 2000. It is shown, for example, that the month of June had an
the heat of hydration of the cementitious materials in RCC dams. average recorded temperature of 25.5°C, whereas the calculated
The temperature distribution through the dam and its evolution temperature for the same month 共Table 1兲 is about 25.7°C.
with time depend on the following: The average monthly ambient air temperature is shown in
• RCC concrete properties, Table 3. RCC placement was assumed to take place in the cooler
• Climatic factors, months of the year—i.e., from December of 1999 to the end of
• Construction procedure, April of 2000. The aggregate production and stockpiling started in
• Thickness of lifts, the summer. Based on the average ambient air temperature from
• Initial temperature of lifts, and December to April of 12°C, an average RCC placement tempera-
• Interval between their successive placements.
These thermally induced stresses can be significant enough to
induce cracks in the RCC.
Recent developments in sophisticated software based on ad-
vanced numerical methods, together with the continually increas- Table 2. Average Actual Data Record of Rolled Compacted
ing power of computers allow complex analyses for such thermal- Concrete Placement Temperature during Construction
structural problems. The ANSYS computer program based on the Month Temperature Temperature
finite-element method was used to analyze the thermal behavior 共2000兲 at day 共°C兲 at night 共°C兲
of the Tannur Dam. The desired outcome of the numerical analy-
May 24.28 23.2
sis was
June 25.52 25.16
• To determine the spatial distribution of temperature and its
July 25.8 25.7
evolution with time,
August 26.15 25.7
• To determine the stress distribution during and following the
September 24.4 23.4
dam construction and at the time of reservoir filling,
October 24.7 24
• To identify the appropriate joint spacing to minimize the de-
velopment of transverse cracking, and
Table 3. Average Monthly Air Temperature
• To determine the concrete placement temperature limits.
Ambient air
Month temperature 共°C兲
Concrete Placement Temperature January 10
February 11.1
The temperature of the concrete aggregate has the greatest influ- March 13.6
ence on the initial temperature of the fresh RCC. Due to the low April 17.8
volume of mix water and the minor temperature difference of the May 21.5
water compared to the aggregate, the water temperature has a
June 24.5
much less significant effect on the overall temperature. Table 1
July 25.5
provides the basis for estimating the aggregate temperature and
August 25.6
approximating the RCC placement temperature used in the analy-
September 24.2
sis. Since aggregate production will be done concurrently with the
October 21.3
RCC placement, stockpile temperatures should closely parallel
November 16.4
the average monthly ambient temperatures. Some heat is added
December 6.7
because of screening, crushing, and transportation activities.

JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / NOVEMBER 2003 / 179

Table 4. Properties Adopted for Thermal Analysis
Property Value
Density 2,400 kg/m3
Elastic modulus 18 GPa
Poisson’s ratio 0.2
Coefficient of thermal expansion 6.5E⫺6/°C
Specific heat 963 J/kg °C
Thermal conductivity 2.6 J/s•m °C
Film 共convection兲 coefficient 共air兲 15 J/s•m2
Film 共convection兲 coefficient 共water兲 570 J/s•m2
Heat generation of RCC 309 J/g at 28 days
Placement temperature 20 °C
Foundation rock temperature 18 °C

ture of 20°C was adopted. A water temperature of 18°C was as-

sumed in the reservoir upon filling and 18°C was assumed for the Fig. 3. Experimental results of heat of hydration for Jordanian ce-
foundation rock. ment

Material Properties and Environmental Conditions

analysis. The element has one degree of freedom for temperature
at each node. This is a higher-order element that has eight nodes,
The model properties used were assessed from available data and
is suitable for simulating irregular shapes, and is applicable to the
typical RCC properties. The density, modulus, Poisson’s ratio,
study of a two-dimensional steady-state or transient thermal
specific heat, and thermal conductivity are given in Table 4. A
analysis. Also, the model can be analyzed structurally by replac-
convection coefficient for air was used, which is consistent with
ing it with the equivalent structural element PLANE82. This is a
moderate wind speed. A typical coefficient of thermal expansion
higher-order element; it also has eight nodes but has two degrees
of 6.5⫻10⫺6 /°C was adopted for the concrete.
of freedom, allowing movement in both the x direction and the y
Heat generation rates adopted for the 125 kg/m3 cement ⫹75
direction. This is a powerful tool available in the ANSYS program
kg/m3 pozzolan mixture were based on the heat of hydration of
that allows the stresses to be obtained in a coupled thermal-
the Jordanian ordinary portland cement 共OPC兲 plus that of the
structural analysis due to a change in temperature with time. A
pozzolan being 20% of that for the OPC. Heat of hydration of 309
plane strain model was adopted for the two-dimensional analysis
J/g at 28 days was determined from testing the Jordanian OPC.
of the maximum cross section of the dam. Fig. 2 shows the mesh
of the cross section of the dam.
Two-Dimensional Model Analysis

The dam was modeled as a two-dimensional transient heat trans-
fer model using a birth and death procedure to simulate the real
construction process of the dam. The dam is divided into 19 lay-
ers. Each layer has a thickness of 3 m, constructed in 10 days, and
the last layer has a thickness of 2 m. The PLANE77 element type,
available in the ANSYS library, was used in the finite-element
Heat of Hydration
Heat of hydration as a function of time was obtained from several
tests performed in the laboratory. Fig. 3 shows the heat of hydra-
tion produced with time for Jordanian cement with and without
the addition of pozzolan. In this study, the heat of hydration was
simulated as a ramp input, as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 2. Two-dimensional finite-element model—mesh Fig. 4. Heat of hydration as ramp input

180 / JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / NOVEMBER 2003


Fig. 5. Predicted adiabatic temperature for Jordanian cement
Adiabatic Temperature Rise „ T ab …
An adiabatic system is a system in which heat is neither allowed
to enter nor leave. Therefore, adiabatic temperature rise is the
change in the temperature of the concrete due to heat of hydration
of the cement under adiabatic conditions. It is the measure of the
heat evolution of the concrete mixture in a thermal analysis. In a
very large mass of concrete, temperatures near the center of the
mass will be approximately equal to the sum of the placement and
adiabatic temperatures. However, near the surfaces, the tempera-
ture will be close to the ambient air temperature. The magnitude
of the adiabatic temperature rise and the shape of the curve can
vary significantly for different concrete mixtures. Typical values
for the adiabatic temperature rise of the mass of concrete range
from 11–19°C at five days to 17–25°C at 28 days. Fig. 5 shows
the predicted adiabatic temperature rise for RCC in the Tannur
Dam determined by the ANSYS program for a placement tempera-
ture of 20°C, where the rate of heat of hydration was simulated as
a ramp input as shown in Fig. 4.
Crack Analysis
RCC, like other concrete, has an ability to absorb some of the
strain resulting from the tensile stresses generated by the cooling
process. This ability is referred to as the tensile strain capacity.
The laboratory test reported by Dunstan 共1981兲 showed that a
typical value of the tensile strain capacity is 80 ␮mm. The tensile
strain capacity of the RCC is not large enough to withstand this
strain without cracking; therefore, joints are required in the con-
crete to avoid cracking.
Mass Gradient Cracking
The mass gradient strain usually is determined by the following
equation:
Table 5. Surface Cracking Analysis for Depth of 9 m
Temperature Incremental
Period difference strain
共days兲 共°C兲 共␮mm兲
0–3 8.6 55.93
3–14 7.8 50.43
14 –28 0.77 5.0
a
Adopted from Tatro and Schrader 共1992兲.
JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / NOVEMBER 2003 / 181
induced strain⫽ 共 C th 兲共 dT 兲共 K R 兲共 K f 兲 (1)
where C th ⫽coefficient of thermal expansion; dT⫽temperature
difference; K R ⫽structure restraint factor; and K f ⫽foundation re-
straint factor.
To determine the spacing of the RCC blocks, the following
parameters are adopted. The peak internal temperature⫽37.7°C
共determined from 2D analysis兲. The minimum temperature 共based
on the annual temperature cycle兲⫽6.7°C 共taken from Table 3兲.
The coefficients K R and K f are both equal to 1.0 for a conserva-
tive assumption and the maximum strain at the foundation base
共Tatro and Schrader 1992兲. The coefficient of thermal expansion
(C th ) is strongly influenced by the type of aggregate in the RCC
mix; for the Tannur Dam, the aggregate is limestone/dolomite
limestone. A typical value for the coefficient of thermal expansion
for the RCC mass for the Tannur Dam is taken as 6.5 E-6/°C
共Neville and Brooks 1994兲.
The calculated induced strain is 201.5 ␮mm. Therefore, the
excess strain is 121.1 ␮mm. Based on the crest length of the
Tannur Dam being 242 m, the total crack width expected is about
29.4 mm. Assuming a permissible crack width of 2.5 mm, the
estimated total number of RCC blocks is 12. Each would have a
length of 20 m. However, the actual size of the constructed blocks
was about 15 m. This number was established earlier in the design
report 共Howard Humphreys 1995兲 considering a presumptive
value for the heat of hydration rate of 440 J/g at 28 days.
Surface Gradient Cracking
In an RCC dam, the surface of the dam cools faster than the
interior body. This causes a temperature gradient between the
cooled surface and the hot interior mass. Such a difference will
result in a thermal gradient that is likely to generate undesirable
thermal stresses and that may cause cracks to develop at the ex-
terior surface. This is not expected to be a structural problem
unless the cracks extend through to the drainage gallery, where
the leakage of water may increase. The method proposed by Tatro
and Schrader 共1992兲 was used in the analysis to calculate the
surface gradient cracking. Table 5 shows the cracking analysis for
a depth of 9.0 m. It is observed that no surface cracking occurs
during the first three days. However, by 14 days the cracking is
apparent, based on the RCC tensile strength quoted by Tatro and
Schrader 共1992兲. Therefore, appropriately spaced joints are nec-
essary to control the cracks that are predicted to occur. From
Table 5, the incremental strain is 111.36 ␮mm; therefore, the
excess strain is 31.36 ␮mm. Based on a crest length of 242 m for
the Tannur Dam, and considering a crack width of 2.5 mm, the
total number of blocks to avoid such cracks is about four, at a
spacing of 60 m.
Three-Dimensional Model Analysis
A 3D analysis was also carried out for the Tannur RCC Dam. Fig.
6 shows the geometry of the dam and its main dimensions. The
Modulus of Incremental Total Maximum
elasticity stress stress tensile
共MPa兲a 共MPa兲 共MPa兲 stress 共MPa兲a
9,655 0.54 0.54 0.62
17,310 0.873 1.413 1.13
18,758 0.09 1.5 1.45
Fig. 6. Geometry of Tannur Dam for 3D analysis; L⫽15, 30, and
45 m

Fig. 8. Thermal boundary conditions for thermal analysis

length of the dam is divided into 12 blocks. Each block is 20 m

long, and one of these blocks, with different lengths of 15, 30, and
45 m, was modeled with finite-element mesh, as shown in Fig. 7.
A Solid70 element type was used for the thermal analysis. This
element has eight nodes, with a single degree of freedom tem-
perature at each node. Fig. 8 shows the boundary conditions for
the thermal analysis. A Solid65 element type was used for the
structural analysis. This element has three degrees of freedom,
permitting movements in the x, y, and z directions. Fig. 9 shows
the boundary conditions for the structural analysis. The step-by-
step analysis of the construction simulation process allows the
determination of the temperature and stress distributions for each
added lift.

Fig. 9. Structural boundary conditions for structural analysis

Fig. 10. Temperature prediction at center of dam at 355 m elevation

Fig. 7. Three-dimensional finite-element model—mesh with 20°C rolled compacted concrete placement temperature

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Fig. 11. Comparison of thermal analysis predictions and actual read-
ings of thermocouples from April until end of June at elevation of
365 m ASL
Finite-Element Results
Two-Dimensional Results
The temperature distribution shown in Fig. 10 is for the specific
location at an elevation of 355 m ASL—i.e., 12 m above the base
of the dam. This shows that the maximum RCC temperature is
approximately 37.7°C. It is shown that the temperature reached its
maximum in the first 10 days due to the high rate of hydration
that remained constant for a long period of time because heat
transfer from the core of the dam to the surface is very slow.
Further, the heat conduction due to the construction of the over-
lying layers of RCC prevents internal heat loss from the con-
structed lift surface.
Fig. 11 shows a comparison between the predicted temperature
rise and the actual thermocouple readings at an elevation of 365
m ASL, covering a period of 90 days between April and the end
of June. Generally, a good agreement has been obtained. The
small differences between the predicted and the actual readings
could be attributed to the change of the RCC placement tempera-
ture. The placement temperature used for the analysis is 20°C.
The actual maximum temperature in the dam by November 7
was about 40°C. This rise in temperature is attributed to the
change of RCC placement temperature during the hot summer
months, starting from June through September. The placement of
RCC continued until August 8, 2000 and resumed on September
24, with the variation of RCC placement temperature reaching a
Fig. 12. Comparison of thermal analysis predictions and actual read-
ings of thermocouples until November 7 at elevation of 365 m ASL
JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / NOVEMBER 2003 / 183
Fig. 13. Actual temperature contours at end of rolled compacted
concrete placement
maximum of 26°C and with the reduction of the cement content
to 120 kg/m3 starting in July. In all cases, the overall temperature
in the body of the dam did not exceed 43°C.
Fig. 12 shows the measured temperature through November 7
compared to that predicted by ANSYS. It should be clearly under-
stood that during the months of August and September no RCC
placement took place, and consequently readings of thermo-
couples were not made. Fig. 13 shows the actual temperature
contours measured at the end of construction of the dam. Heat of
hydration testing during the construction of the dam established
that the actual heat of hydration of the cement in use is 309 J/g.
Fig. 14 shows the predicted temperature for different nodal
points at different locations. The results demonstrate that the tem-
perature at the surface is affected by the environmental condi-
tions, and the temperature in the center of the dam is essentially
unaffected by the ambient temperature.
From the two-dimensional analysis, plots for the temperature
contour and stress distributions in the body of the dam for the
different constructed lifts are shown in Fig. 15. The maximum
temperature recorded after the end of construction was 37.7°C in
the core of the dam.
Fig. 14. Predicted temperature history at 365 m ASL elevation
measured from upstream face
Fig. 15. Two-dimensional temperature and stress distribution for different constructed lifts: 共a兲 temperature distribution at Lift 3; 共b兲 stress
distribution at Lift 3; 共c兲 temperature distribution at Lift 6; 共d兲 stress distribution at Lift 6; 共e兲 temperature distribution at Lift 12; 共f兲 stress
distribution at Lift 12; 共g兲 temperature distribution at Lift 19; 共h兲 stress distribution at Lift 19

184 / JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / NOVEMBER 2003

Fig. 16. Three-dimensional temperature and principal stress distribution in body for block length of 15 m: 共a兲 temperature distribution at end of
casting for half of 15 m block length; 共b兲 principal stress at end of casting for half of 15 m block length; 共c兲 temperature distribution at end of
heat of hydration for half of 15 m block length; 共d兲 principal stress at end of heat of hydration for half of 15 m block length; 共e兲 temperature
distribution after one year for half of 15 m block length; 共f兲 principal stress after one year for half of 15 m block length

Three-Dimensional Results
Three different blocks of 15, 30, and 45 m lengths were modeled.
These blocks were taken at the central monolith in the dam. The
maximum temperature recorded after the end of construction was
37.7°C for a 15 m block length, as shown in Fig. 16. After one
year, a gradual decrease in temperature of the dam core is ob-
served. Similar trends were observed for block lengths of 30 and
45 m. It is predicted that the temperature of the inner core of the
dam will coincide with the mean annual temperature, but this will
take many years.
Fig. 16 shows the predicted temperature and principal stress
contours developed in the dam body for a block length of 15 m.
Fig. 17. Predicted temperature at elevation of 355 m ASL for three-
The results indicate that the maximum principal stresses decrease
dimensional model
with decreasing temperatures of the dam.

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Fig. 18. Principal stresses at center of dam for 15 m block length
Fig. 17 shows the predicted temperature for two different
nodal points at two locations for the three-dimensional model.
Again the results demonstrate that the temperature at the surface
is affected by the environmental conditions and the temperature in
the center of the dam is almost unaffected by air temperatures.
Fig. 18 represents the principal stresses at the center of the
dam for a block length of 15 m for different heights of the dam.
The results indicated that the first peak tensile stress occurs
shortly after placement of the RCC layers. The tensile stress then
increases and remains nearly constant during construction before
reducing because of the effect of the reservoir load on the up-
stream face. It also shows that the peak tensile stresses occur
within 10 days of placement.
Fig. 19 represents the cross-valley stress 共z direction兲 for a
point at the center of the base of the dam for different block
lengths. Again, the first peak stresses occur shortly after the place-
ment of the RCC layers.
Fig. 20 shows the principal stress path along the upstream face
for different block lengths. The results indicated that the stress
developed for a block length of 15 m is lower than that for block
lengths of 30 and 45 m. At a location of 30 m elevation above the
base of the dam, the peak value of the principal stress is 0.42 MPa
for a 15 m block length, whereas for 30 and 45 m block lengths
the peak stress increases to 0.94 and 1.1 MPa, respectively.
Fig. 19. Cross-valley stress 共z direction兲 at center of base of dam for
different block lengths
186 / JOURNAL OF PERFORMANCE OF CONSTRUCTED FACILITIES © ASCE / NOVEMBER 2003
Fig. 20. Principal stress path along upstream face for different block
lengths
Conclusion
The Tannur RCC Dam is constructed with a crest length of 242 m
and 17 contraction joints at approximately 15 m spacing. How-
ever, from the computational results presented in this study, it is
concluded that a 20 m average joint spacing is satisfactory to
accommodate contraction openings of up to 2.5 mm if cracking is
to be avoided. It was observed that if the RCC temperature is
being raised to 26°C, the maximum peak temperature in the core
of the dam could reach 43°C, which is less than the predicted
peak temperature of 45°C established in the design report to cause
cracks in the dam. Furthermore, in the design report 共Howard
Humphreys 1995兲, it was concluded that the design criteria re-
quire that the RCC have a compressive strength of 20 MPa, and a
tensile strength of over 1.35 MPa.
The dam does not experience tensile stresses in excess of the
tensile strength of the concrete. The tensile thermal stresses due to
a temperature drop in the interior of an RCC gravity dam are
partially compensated by the action of the weight of the concrete
and water pressure.
Results are very sensitive to the time of the year, the ambient
air temperature, the RCC placement temperature, and the rate of
heat of hydration.
In conclusion, a thermal stress analysis using a finite-element
method showed that the method is efficient and reliable. The tem-
peratures and the stress distribution in the dam as predicted by the
finite-element method are reasonable and predict the evolution of
temperature and thermal stress with time. Using a commercially
available finite-element program and the available laboratory
data, the incremental construction process of a mass-concrete
structure can be modeled to produce results that can be used in
practical applications. The results from the analysis correlate
closely with the actual thermal data obtained from the construc-
tion instrumentation.
Acknowledgments
The writers thank Brian Forbes and Francisco Andriolo for their
discussions, advice, and ideas given at the start of and during the
preparation of this paper. The writers also thank the owner of
Tannur Dam, the Jordan Valley Authority, for allowing them to
prepare this paper for publication.
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