Title: Proposed Mass Concrete Definition Based on Concrete Constituents and Minimum Dimension

Author(s): John Gajda, Jon Feld, and Christopher C. Ferraro

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 325

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 7.1-7.12

Keywords:

DOI: 10.14359/51710948

Date: 7/25/2018

Abstract:

ACI defines mass concrete as:

Any volume of concrete in which a combination of dimensions of the member being cast, the boundary conditions, the characteristics of the concrete mixture, and the ambient conditions can lead to undesirable thermal stresses, cracking, deleterious chemical reactions, or reduction in the long-term strength as a result of elevated concrete temperature due to heat from hydration.

While this definition provides an excellent description of the characteristics of concrete to consider for the purposes of defining mass concrete, it does not provide clear and uncontestable requirements for determining whether a particular placement must be treated as mass concrete. The purpose of this paper is to better define what placements should be treated as mass concrete and to provide the reasoning behind the definition. This paper serves as a guide to provide specification writers, owners, engineers, and contractors a way to better identify the need to treat (or not treat) a particular concrete placement as mass concrete.