Early-age thermo-hydro-mechanical properties of reinforced concrete bridge piers on the plateau

The reinforced concrete (RC) piers located on the plateau suffer a thermo-hydro-mechanical response at an early age, which severely damages the safety and durability of bridges. In this research, five RC piers were constructed on a plateau (altitude: 4360 m) to explore the development of bridge pier early-age temperature and strain. Thermo-hydro-mechanical finite element analyses were then performed to investigate the early-age temperature, moisture, and deformation properties of the RC pier on the plateau. The findings demonstrate that employing thermal insulation curing, modifying the cement ultimate hydration heat, and minimizing the concrete w/c ratio could mitigate the pier early-age temperature gradient and moisture loss. The concrete hydration degree and compressive strength are often greater around the pier gravity center than in other situations. After 96 h of curing, the compressive strength of the concrete at the pier gravity center is approximately 1.766 times that of the pier surface concrete. The most unfavorable locations for bridge piers are at the arc surface and the bottom of the plane.