Simulation of thermal stress and control measures for rock-filled concrete dam in high-altitude and cold regions

Abstract High-altitude and cold regions (HACR) have extremely low temperatures accompanied by frequent cold currents in winter, causing significant thermal stress and cracking in concrete structures. Based on previous studies, by using ABAQUS as the development platform and FORTRAN as the development tool, a calculation program for temperature fields during concrete dam construction and operation processes was established to test the accuracy of the program. Jinqiao Rock-filled Concrete (RFC) Gravity Dam, located in HACR of Tibet, China, is as an example to simulate the thermal stress under three working conditions. The results show that: (1) the hydration temperature rise of RFC is lower than that of normal concrete; the use of RFC can reduce the temperature and thermal stress of the concrete dam. (2) In HACR, installing an insulation layer on the surface of the dam body can significantly increase the surface temperature and reduce its difference and tensile stress, meeting the requirements of temperature control and crack prevention.