Concrete placing was carried out during freezing weather in winter at the Miura dam to repair its intake tower, which had produced visible degradation in concrete after 70 years of service. The facility, located in mountainous terrain in central Japan and used exclusively for electric power generation, performs its flow-regulating duty throughout the year and, thus, there were restrictions on the method and timing of repair work to minimize adverse impact on power generation. The work was executed in winter when freezing weather prevails but the level of water in the reservoir remains relatively low. Lithium nitrite was used as an admixture in concrete in a bid to compensate for lack of sufficient curing time and to prevent initial frost damage. It was confirmed that the quality of concrete can be assured by adding lithium nitrite without the need for providing any special curing process, such as thermal insulation or heating.
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