Analysis of influential factors on temperature field in the construction of concrete warm shed method for pile cap

Abstract In order to enhance the curing efficiency of the heating shed method, this study employs field testing and numerical simulation techniques. A heater is utilized as the heat source within the shed, investigating the impacts of exhaust temperature, exhaust velocity, initial heater temperature, shed wall material, and heater placement on temperature variations in both concrete and the shed. The findings demonstrate that elevating the heater outlet air temperature, reducing air outlet velocity, decreasing initial concrete temperature, lowering thermal conductivity of shed wall materials, and arranging heaters more uniformly can effectively mitigate surface-to-interior temperature differentials in concrete. Moreover, through grey relation analysis, it is determined that the initial concrete temperature significantly influences curing quality. Based on these relations among factors degrees of association with each other, recommendations for implementing warm shed construction are proposed. The research outcomes provide theoretical support for controlling temperatures during winter construction using warm sheds.