Liquid Nitrogen-Cooled Concrete

Placing concrete in warm weather can accelerate cement hydration and moisture evaporation, reducing workability and long-term strength. One method to rapidly cool concrete in warm weather is to use liquid nitrogen, which lowers a mix’s temperature without adding water or ice or altering the design. This project’s goal is to review current industry practices and assess the effectiveness of using liquid nitrogen to cool concrete in warm weather. Researchers will identify key considerations and recommended practices for the use of liquid nitrogen to cool concrete in Illinois Department of Transportation projects. Effectively using liquid nitrogen to cool concrete will allow construction personnel to pour concrete for longer, uninterrupted periods, improving its consistency and quality.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $75,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  R27-SP85

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Illinois Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Research
  2420 South Dirksen Parkway
  Springfield, IL  United States  62764
• Managing Organizations:

  University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  Illinois Center for Transportation
  1611 Titan Drive
  Rantoul, IL  United States  61866
• Performing Organizations:

  University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory
  Urbana, IL  United States  61801-2352
• Principal Investigators:

  Roesler, Jeffery

• Start Date: 20260916
• Expected Completion Date: 20270615
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: Research and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete; Cooling; Hot weather construction; Liquid nitrogen; State of the practice; Temperature
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; Materials; Pavements;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 02002256
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Illinois Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: R27-SP85
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 16 2026 11:01AM