Abstract:
This research was confined to the study of the characteristics of temperature distribution across an exposed box-girder concrete section. Experiments were conducted at the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University during November 1982 February 1983. A model having the thickness of top slab 20 cm, bottom slab 30 cm, web 40 cm, and girder 1.00 m indepth was used in this study. Thermocouples were erected along the interior surface and across the middle section of top slab to measure temperatures at selected time intervals. Temperatures along the exterior surface, however, were measured by using probe Thermocouple. Finite Element procedure then was used to compute temperatures at inner points by assuming a two-dimensional heat flow across the cross-section but having constant temperature longitudinally. Comparisons of temperature distributions across the thickness of the top slab at different time interval between the measured and compute values are good. Temperature distribution across the slab is found to be linear. The distribution across the depth of web, on the other hand, is found to be nonlinear. Studies have shown that temperature distribution across the box-girder section depends on ambient temperature and solar heat. Relationship between temperatures at top surface and ambient temperature is linear. Temperature gradient between top and bottom surface of top slab and girder are found to be 5-6℃, and 7-8℃ respectively. Furthermore, temperatures at the same depth across the transverse directions are found to be nearly uniforms. Average temperatures of the across-section is between 2.17-34℃ resulting the longitudinal expansion or contraction of 1.37x10⁻⁴ m/m.