Finite Element Analysis and Origin Study of Circumferential Cracks in Aqueduct Shells Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-600-5_23How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Aqueduct; trough shell; finite element; temperature

Abstract

After long-term temperature difference cycles during operation, thin-walled aqueduct structures develop numerous cracks. To ensure the safe and stable operation of the aqueduct, it is necessary to replace the aqueduct shell. The design strength for concrete durability in the current water conservancy concrete design code is C30, which is different from the C20 strength of the old aqueduct shell. The later self-volume shrinkage and dry shrinkage of the new aqueduct shell concrete are much larger than those of the old aqueduct shell. To improve the durability of the aqueduct shell, a polyurea coating is applied inside the newly replaced aqueduct shell to prevent water erosion of the thin wall and enhance the concrete’s frost resistance. However, this significantly reduces the thermal conductivity of the concrete, making it prone to large temperature stresses on the outer surface of the aqueduct shell under cold waves. Therefore, it is likely to develop circumferential cracks under water flow conditions or temperature changes. Thus, three-dimensional finite element methods are used to calculate and analyze various working conditions of the aqueduct to provide theoretical guidance for replacing the aqueduct shell in future aqueduct projects.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Wenjie Hou
AU  - Hu Tao
AU  - YuanShun Huo
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/02/26
TI  - Finite Element Analysis and Origin Study of Circumferential Cracks in Aqueduct Shells Based on Thermo-Mechanical Coupling
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 8th International Conference on Civil Architecture, Hydropower and Engineering Management (CAHEM 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 234
EP  - 242
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-600-5_23
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-600-5_23
ID  - Hou2026
ER  -