Material

A material is identified by a user defined name.

When a volume is defined you must assign a material.

It is possible to import materials from libraries. Examples are delivered together with the software.

When a material has been defined it can be exported to a library for use in other jobs.

It is possible to write a text-description of the material.

The material is characterized by:

Cement Content, which is the weight of cement per volume-unit of concrete

or

Powder Content, which is the weight of powder per volume-unit of concrete

Density, weight of one volume-unit of concrete

Heat Capacity, energy/weight-unit/temperature-unit

Thermal Conductivity, energy/length-unit/time-unit/ temperature-unit

Adiabatic Heat of Hydration determined by:

M is the maturity, see below

Q_total = Total heat development, energy per weight-unit of cement or powder content.

τ_e = Time Parameter, determining the maturity where the sign of the curvature is changing

α = Curvature Parameter, describing how steep the rise of the curve is

Alternatively the adiabatic Heat of Hydration can be defined by means of a piecewise linear curve. 

Tensile Strength, Compression Strength is described with functions in the same manner as the Heat of Hydration.

Read about Mechanical Properties.

Maturity

The maturity M of the concrete is determined as:

where

Δt = a time-interval

H = the rate factor in the time-interval

The rate factor is depending on the chosen Maturity function:

Arrhenius equivalent age at temperature Ts[°K]:

H = exp ( E/R * [1/Ts - 1/Ta] )

where:

Ta = average temperature in the considered time interval [°K]

E = Activation Energy, determined by:

E = Factor1[J/mol] for Ta >= Ts

E = Factor1 +Factor2 (Ts - Ta) [J/mol] for Ta < Ts

R = 8.314 [J/mol ºK]

Nurse-Saul temperature-time factor:

H = Ta-To

where:

Ta = average temperature in the considered time interval

To = datum temperature

If Ta is lower than the datum temperature => H = 0.0

Nurse-Saul equivalent age at temperature Ts:

H = (Ta-To) / (Ts-To)

where:

Ta = average temperature in the considered time interval

To = datum temperature

If Ta is lower than the datum temperature => H = 0.0