Simulative research on temperature field and thermal stress for Xiaowan Arch Dam

As the highest one within all the arch dams constructed or under construction in the world,the temperature control and crack-prevention are the important measures for Xiaowan Arch Dam to ensure its normal construction and safe operation;for which 3D FEM is adopted to simulate the whole process of temperature field and thermal stress of No.22 dam section during the construction of the dam,and then the general law for both the temperature field and thermal stress is acquired.In the simulation,the thermodynamic properties of the construction materials,the process of concrete placement,the environmental temperature variation,and the processes for both the arch-closure and the impoundment are considered,from wiich the results can be taken as the valuable references to the design of the temperature control for construction of the dam.