Temperature deformation characteristics of acrylic windows used for tide embankments

Tide-embankment walls protecting coastal roads frequently contain numerous windows so that pedestrians and drivers can view the scenery without experiencing reduced sunlight. Tide-embankment windows must withstand extreme climatic conditions. However, the effects of temperature extremes on acrylic boards have rarely been studied. This paper proposes a simple method for constructing a high-temperature environment and a method for measuring strain on an acrylic plate. The deformation and strain of a 40-mm-thick acrylic tide-embankment window were determined experimentally and numerically in this study in a high-temperature environment, obtaining similar results; additionally, the numerical method was subsequently used to simulate a low-temperature environment. Because thermal conductivity was low, the internal temperature of the thick acrylic board did not immediately change with the temperature of the surface, and thermal expansion and contraction of the board were restrained. Temperature-induced deformation effects were low across the entire range of temperatures and heating rates recorded in coastal Japan.