Concrete Techno

ology and Codes

Non-structural
Cracks in Concrete

Letter

Type of Cracking

A
B

Plastic settlement

C
D
E

Plastic shrinkage

F
G
Early thermal contraction
H

I
J

Subdivision

Most Common
Location

Over reinforcement

Deep sections

Thin slabs (and

walls)
Against formwork

Natural
Corrosion of reinforcement

M
I

Calcium chloride
Alkali-aggregate reaction

Time of
Appearance

Rapid early drying

Ten minutes to
Excess bleeding
Top of columns
conditions
three hours
Trough and waffle
Change of depth
slab
Diagonal
Roads and slabs
Reinforced concrete Rapid early drying
Thirty minutes to six
Random
Low rate of bleeding
slabs
hours
Reinforced concrete Ditto plus steel near
Over reinforcement
slabs
surface
Excess heat
External restraint
Thick walls
generation
One day or two or
Rapid cooling
three weeks
Excess temperature
Internal restraint
Thick slabs
gradients

Floated concrete

Secondary
Causes/Factors

Arching

Long-term drying shrinkage

Crazing

Primary Cause
(excluding
restraint)

"Fair faced"
concrete
Slabs
Columns and
beams

Inefficient joints
Impermeable
formwork
Over troweling
Lack of cover

Precast concrete

Excess calcium
chloride

Damp locations

Reactive aggregate
plus high-alkali
cement

Excessive shrinkage
inefficient curing
Rich mixes
Poor curing
Poor quality
concrete

Several weeks or
months
One to seven days,
sometimes much
later
More than two years

More than five years

Why does concrete shrink?

Non-structural Cracks
z

Fresh
Settlement
Plastic shrinkage

Hardened
Drying shrinkage
Thermal dilation

Before Hardening
Early frost damage
z Plastic
z

Shrinkage
Settlement

Construction movement
Formwork
Sub-grade

PLASTIC SHRINKAGE CRACKING

Typical Plastic Shrinkage

Cracking

Evaporation of Surface
Moisture from Concrete

Concrete Techno
ology and Codes

Plastic Settlement

Subsidence Cracking

Resistance to subsidence by
top reinforcement

Cracks usually appear along

reinforcement bars

..but can also form from

differential settlement

Resistance to subsidence by
void tubes in hollow core

After Hardening
z

Physical
Shrinkable aggregates
Drying shrinkage
Crazing

Chemical
Corrosion of rebar
Alkali aggregate reaction
Carbonation

After Hardening
z

Thermal
Freeze thaw cycles
External seasonal temperature variations
Early thermal contraction

External restraint
Internal temperature gradients
z

Structural
Accidental overload
Creep
Design loads

Concrete Techno
ology and Codes

Drying Shrinkage
Cracking

Why cracks form

Shrinkage and Cracking

Drying Shrinkage Cracks

Occur: In thin sections (low V/S ratio)
z When: Several weeks after casting
z Causes:
z

Excess water in mix

High paste content
Inefficient joints
Poor curing

Remedies:
Reduce water content of mix
Improve curing

Cracking tendency depends

on many factors

Shrinkage is Size Dependent

Theoretical Shrinkage
Stresses

Mitigation of Drying
Shrinkage Cracks
z

Aggregate

Content
Size

Workability

Ease of placement
Consolidation

Admixtures

Chemical
Mineral

Curing
Eliminate external
restraints by allowing
joint movement
P id crackk controll
Provide
steel distribution

The role of fibers

z

Fibers will:
Reduce plastic shrinkage cracking
Reduce bleeding

What about other types of cracking?

Fibers can:
Bridge cracks
Distribute stresses and limit crack widths
Volume is critical!

Tensile Deformation
Plain Concrete

Tensile Deformation
Steel Reinforced Concrete

Tensile Deformation
Fiber Reinforced Concrete

Concrete Techno
ology and Codes

Thermal Cracking

Internal Thermal Restraint

HOT CENTER

Temperature Rise and

Cement Type

ACI 224
Tolerable Crack Widths
Exposure condition
Dry air or protective membrane
Humidity, moist air, soil
Deicing chemicals
Seawater and seawater spray;
wetting and drying
Water-retaining structures

Tolerable crack
width, in.
0.016
0.012
0.007
0.006
0.004

Crack Control

Control of Cracking
z

Joints
Isolation
Contraction
Construction

Reinforcement
Cover
Size of crack
Frequency (numerous tight cracks)
Whats allowable (crack width)

Take an
example
Sidewalk set
above pavement
z 500 ft long
pavement strips
p
p
z = 6x10-6 in/in/F
z Approximately
0.7/100/100F
z

Result
Omission of full
depth isolation
/expansion joint
z Expansion
p
of
adjacent
pavement results
in cracking and
buckling of
concrete sidewalk
z

Mid-Panel Cracking

Crack Repair
Fix large cracks prior to exposure
Use:
z

MMA
Epoxy injection
Sealers
Routing and sealing

Effect of cover
z Importance of curing on cracking
z

Summary
Many forms of cracking
z Concrete is weak in tension
z Shrinkage!
z Jointing
z

Concrete Techno
ology and Codes

Questions?