Impact of thermal transfer on hydration heat of a Soundless Chemical Demolition Agent

This paper explores thermal transfer effects in Soundless Chemical Demolition Agents (SCDA). In a 10°C water bath, quadrupling the volume of SCDA in a pipe accelerated peak hydration onset and resulted in a 700% increase in expansive pressure and a 20% increase in volumetric expansion. An equivalent sample in a constant temperature chamber showed an almost 5°C greater hydration heat than in the water bath, which resulted in a six-fold expansive pressure difference after 4 days of testing and an order of magnitude more pressure in the first 24 h, thereby demonstrating limitations of previous SCDA experimental work and providing a temperature-based reason for discrepancies between large-scale testing and manufacturers’ predictions. Since most construction projects have scheduling requirements, understanding how to achieve sufficiently high pressures within a single work shift is important for evaluating the field viability of SCDAs on a particular project.