CAUSES, EVALUATION AND REPAIR OF CRACKS IN CONCRETE

7.0 7.1 Important facts about Cracks in Concrete: Minute cracks on the tension side of a reinforced concrete member are unavoidable due to the poor tensile strength of concrete as compared to steel. Concrete must crack when the steel takes its load. These cracks, however, should be fine enough to prevent moisture penetration. Normally crack widths up to 0.3mm are acceptable. Higher rate of rise during concreting of a vertical member like wall or column, when full height formwork is applied, may lead to settlement cracks. Preferable rate should be 0.5m- 1.0m per hour. In slab concreting, concrete should be placed in layers not exceeding 300mm with an hour interval. Rate of drying of green concrete should be kept low for lowering the risk of early drying cracking. Rate of drying (ROD) depends on several factors as following: a) b) c) d) 7.4 Higher the wind velocity higher ROD. Lower the relative humidity higher ROD Higher the concrete temperature higher ROD. Higher the difference in concrete temperature and air temperature higher ROD. Delayed start of curing may cause plastic shrinkage cracking. Hence as soon as concrete surface is touch dry after toweling and finishing, curing should be started immediately. Higher the cement content in the concrete higher will be the shrinkage and cracking tendency. Hence use of rich concrete mix with more than 450 kg/m3 of cement content (excluding fly ash etc.) should be normally avoided unless special consideration has been given in design to the increased risk of cracking (Para 8.2.4.2of IS:456-2000). Use of fly ash (Grade 1 of IS: 3812) as replacement of ordinary Portland cement in concrete reduces shrinkage characteristic of the concrete. Following good construction practices during hot weather would help in avoiding early shrinkage cracking: a) Use of ice flakes or chilled water at batching plant. b) Shading of aggregates stock piles. c) Sprinkling of water on aggregate. d) Avoid concreting during hottest period of the day and use morning, evening or night time for concreting. e) Wet Hessian around transit mixture drum. f) Use of shade during concreting to avoid direct sunlight on green concrete.

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CAUSES, EVALUATION AND REPAIR OF CRACKS IN CONCRETE

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The amount of water per bag of cement or per cubic meter of concrete is an important factor, probably the single most important factor. The more the water, the greater the cracking tendency. Water increases shrinkage and reduces strength. Higher grades of cement are finer and results in higher heat of hydration and shrinkage, and therefore can accentuates cracking. OPC cement of 33 grade is the most suitable cement so far as durability is concerned. Admixtures like accelerators increase shrinkage considerably and retarders reduce early cracking. Higher the bleeding of concrete more pockets of watery paste under the larger pieces of aggregate, especially in deeper sections and thus breed internal cracks. Low bleed concrete mix (1-2%) is recommended for avoiding plastic settlement crack. Overlapping of bars should be staggered and overlap for tension bars should be provided for not more than 1/5 of the total number of bars at any section. Similarly curtailment of steel in tension zone should be staggered.

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