shocking a concrete slab

ecletrical

I have Wirsboro hePex in this slab. What is the highest temperature that the slab can take (not the hePex Max temp) before thermal stress could cause damage to the slab? I guess it depends on the delta T between slab temperature and tubing temp. Any ideas about what is considered safe?.

Mark Eatherton

480 three phase...

Oh, not THAT kind of shock eh :-)



With a conventional heating system with a capacity of less than 100 btu's / sq ft per hour, you will play hell thermally shocking a conventional concrete slab.



In my 35 years of travel, I have seen one slab thermally shocked, and it was a snowmelt system with a steam boiler that could dump 300 btu/sq ft/hr into the slab on a hospital ambulance approach ramp. The concrete spalled up around the supply lines.



Believe it or not, the Edison Institute had some designs a while back of electrified concrete. They were looking at the possibility of using this electrified concrete for snowmelt applications on bridges and highways. This was back about 5 years ago...



ME