Cooling Pipe Systems for Concrete in Infrastructure Projects
In a step forward for construction innovation, BCRC has successfully designed cooling pipe systems for vital transport infrastructure projects to overcome the challenge of controlling heat of hydration of concrete and thermal cracking.
Achieving an optimal concrete placement temperature to withstand Australia’s harsh climate is an ongoing issue for the construction industry. With climate change, this challenge is likely to continue.
Post-cooling techniques offer a viable, cost-effective solution. Cooling pipes, embedded in the concrete structure, circulate cooling water to absorb heat generated during hydration, maintaining a controlled temperature.
The cooling system designed by BCRC’s Technical Director Dr. Inam Khan was implemented in the Newell Highway Upgrade-New Dubbo Bridge project.
BCRC collaborated with Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure to design cooling systems for bridge elements. The project met TfNSW B80 specifications, with a peak temperature limit of 70°C and a temperature differential limit of 20°C. The use of cooling pipes also significantly reduced formwork removal time, enhancing construction efficiency.
Article by
Inam Khan
Dr Khan has over 12 years of research and industry experience. His areas of expertise are steel corrosion in concrete, concrete durability in severe environments, service life modelling of concrete in severe environments, early-age mechanical and visco-elastic properties of concrete, time-dependent deformation in concrete, thermal and shrinkage induced crack modelling in concrete.