Trade Journals for the Concrete Industry

… conditions When constructing airports, dams, tunnels, bridges and other infrastructure projects, solid concrete elements are employed that can still develop hydration heat due to their thickness and thus crack-forming stresses months after their installation. This is compounded in regions with extreme climates by very high or low ambient temperatures, which can hinder the controlled curing of concrete. The temperature of concrete must be appropriately regulated right from the mixing process in order to avoid cracks in the concrete and thus also drastic damage to a structure. Construction companies and concrete manufacturers are often confronted with tight temperature limits due to the stricter legal requirements of the last 10 to 15 years, as well as greater demands on concrete quality and structure. At the same time, rising energy prices demand that the equipment utilised for temperature control become increasingly more energy efficient. One solution in such cases can be modular systems which make it possible to meet stringent concrete temperature requirements through the combined use of ice, water and air, and that additionally exhibit a more beneficial energy and CO2 footprint by avoiding consumption-intensive cooling and heating methods.