Predicting the Drying of Concrete by an Anomalous Diffusion Model

Abstract

The drying process of concrete is a complex unsteady heat and mass transfer process that is greatly affected by the drying temperature. The influence of the drying process on the drying characteristics and strength of concrete must be investigated. Concrete specimens were dried under various temperatures, namely, 60°C, 85°C, 105°C, 120°C, and 150°C, to obtain the criterion for the dry state of the concrete specimens and optimum drying control condition. An anomalous diffusion model was developed to characterize the drying phenomena of the concrete specimens. Three main results were acquired. First, the proposed model can clearly interpret experimental drying data and predict the dry state of concrete specimens. Second, drying temperature greatly affects the drying rate and dry state of the concrete specimens. Third, conducting the drying test on concrete specimens at 105°C is recommended.