CONCRETE CRACKING WHO IS TO BLAME?

By Christopher Stanley
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR UNIBETON READY MIX

CRACKING FACTS
(Concrete Society Technical Report Number 22, non-structural cracks in concrete)

If a concrete is either cooled or dried, then provided it is free from restraint, it will reduce in length and no cracks will develop Cracks will not form unless there is some form of restraint Because it acts as a form of internal restraint, reinforcement governs the spacing and width of cracks in hardened concrete but reinforcement does not have the same effect in plastic concrete

CRACK ASSESSMENT
Usually based on: Critical viewing distance and personal viewpoint Type of structure, often using an arbitrary or prestige scale (e.g monumental or public buildings, commercial buildings and car
parks, public paving, driveways, private housing)

Cracks can be classified thus Fine cracks - up to 1mm wide Wide cracks - from 1mm to 6mm wide Fractures - over 6mm wide It is sometimes specified or implied that crack widths of up to 0.3mm are aesthetically acceptable

All concrete cracks but some can be prevented

CRACK CLASSIFICATION
CRACKS OCCURING BEFORE HARDENING PLASTIC CRACKS CRACKS OCCURING AFTER HARDENING STRUCTURAL CRACKS DESIGN LOADS CREEP CONSTRUCTION MOVEMENT ACCIDENTAL OVERLOAD EXTERNAL RESTRAINT INTERNAL TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS THERMAL CRACKS EARLY AGE THERMAL CONTRACTION

PHYSICAL CRACKS DRYING SHRINKAGE CRAZING

PLASTIC SHRINKAGE PLASTIC SETTLEMENT

FORMWORK MOVEMENT

CHEMICAL CEMENT CARBONATION ALKALI-AGGREGATE REACTIONS CORROSION OF REINFORCEMENT

SHRINKABLE AGGREGATE

SUB-GRADE MOVEMENT

EXTERNAL SEASONAL TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS

FREEZE/THAW CYCLES

TYPE OF CRACK time of appearance PLASTIC SETTLEMENT 10 minutes to three hours

REF * TYPE A TYPE B TYPE C

FORM, LOCATION, etc. Cracks over reinforcement in deep sections Arching cracks in columns Cracks at change of depth in slab/beam sections Diagonal cracks in roads and slabs Random cracks in reinforced slabs Cracks over reinforcement in slabs External restraint cracks in thick walls or columns Internal restraint cracks in thick slabs Cracking in thin slabs and walls Cracks off the form in fair-faced concrete Cracks in power- floated slabs

PRIMARY/SECONDARY CAUSES Excess bleeding (PC)

REMEDY * Reduce bleeding Re-vibrate

Rapid early drying conditions Rapid early drying (PC) Low rate of bleeding Ditto and steel near surface Excess heat generation (PC) rapid cooling Excess temperature gradients, rapid cooling Inefficient joints (PC) Excess shrinkage and inefficient curing Impermeable formwork, rich mixes, poor curing over-trowelling.

Add Air entrainment

PLASTIC SHRINKAGE 30 minutes to six hours

TYPE D TYPE E TYPE F

Improve early curing

EARLY THERMAL CONTRACTION One day to three weeks LONG TERM DRYING SHRINKAGE weeks - months CRAZING 1 - 7 days sometimes much later

TYPE G TYPE H

Reduce heat and/or insulate

TYPE I

Reduce water content Improve curing Improve curing and finishing

TYPE J TYPE K

SIMPLE CRACK MODEL

Initial state after pouring

no restraint

If dried out or cooled with partial or no restraint Restraint - short term effects Restraint Medium/long term effects

Contraction without stress Free to shrink

Crack relieves tension

restraint

restraint

restraint

Tension!

Common crack types Plastic shrinkage cracking (Type A)

Caused by BLEEDING (A special case of sedimentation - T.C.Powers,

1939)

The phenomenon of water rising to the surface of plastic concrete, caused by gravity pulling heavier particles downward, the latter being known as sedimentation
bleed water evaporates - volume change - shrinkage - tension - restraint - crack?

Sedimentation

Bleeding is not a result of poor compaction, and it cannot be eliminated by improved compaction

PLASTIC SETTLEMENT CRACKS

Type A cracks
Water void formed under steel desiccation - water evaporates leaving dry void

PLASTIC SETTLEMENT CRACKS

Type C cracks Settlement cracks occurring at changes in slab depth

PLASTIC SHRINKAGE CRACKS

Tension

Item cast into slab acts as crack inducement - crack follows line of least resistance

Uneven sub base acts as crack inducement - crack follows line of least resistance

Type E - random

PLASTIC SHRINKAGE CRACKS

Type F over reinforcement

Tension

Insufficient reinforcement cover ? (cracks induced by steel proximity to surface which is in tension due to rapid drying)

Differentiated from plastic settlement cracks because plastic shrinkage cracks tend to pass through slab depth

Plastic Shrinkage Cracking

Plastic Shrinkage Cracking

Plastic Shrinkage Cracking

Plastic Shrinkage Cracking

Plastic Shrinkage Cracking

Thermal cracking - specification

Question - Why 70C max. temperature?
Past experience with mass concrete and accelerated curing e.g. in precasting suggests that the quality of the cement hydrate at elevated temperatures >70C is inferior to that in a normally cured concrete so mechanical strength tends to be lower - in addition a phenomenon known as Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF) may affect durability

Question - why require a maximum temperature differential of 20C? Raw materials for concrete expand at different rates when heated up - this may lead to micro-cracking when the respective coefficients of expansion of cement paste and aggregates are significantly different in some cases Most aggregates can absorb a degree of strain from temperature movements (tensile strain capacity) therefore it does not automatically follow that aggregates with significantly different E. coef.are going to cause or influence cracking. 20C taken as a conservative limit on differentials due to lack of knowledge of local aggregate expansion coefficients

EARLY THERMAL CONTRACTION CRACKS

Core temperature

Temperature C

20C?

20C

>20C?

Temperature differential

Surface temperature

Higher Temperature differential Possibility of cracks?

Time after casting - hours

EARLY THERMAL CHANGES - 24 HOURS

Ambient temperature say 35C? Insulation provided by formwork? Formwork temperature say 55C Cover to Insulate? Insulation provided by formwork?
No edge restraint Free to shrink? Sections > 0.5m thick considered Self-Insulating

Heat and Expansion 75C?

Maybe base restraint from mature concrete or sub base material

EARLY REMOVAL OF FORMWORK - THERMAL SHOCK

Tension - Plastic shrinkage

Rapid cooling to ambient temperature say 35C?

Remove forms early?

Tension!

Core Heat say 75C Expansion

BASE RESTRAINT

Rapid cooling to ambient temperature say 35C?

Tension!

Remove forms early?

METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD
Pour concrete continuously

CONTRIBUTION
Improves uniformity of pouring temperatures Negligible.Depends on speed and volume placed and nature of hydration of cement Significant contribution Prevents thermal shock Allows uniform controlled cooling to take place

DISADVANTAGE
Places additional demands on production and handling Extra logistical considerations for night working Formwork re-use delayed

Pour concrete at night

Delay removal of formwork

Use insulated curing methods

Significant reduction in temperature differentials. Enables more uniform temperature rise and fall

Large scale use of insulation materials may be expensive

METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD
Install sacrificial cooling system in the concrete in the concrete mass Reduce design strength margin or observe 60 or 90 day compliance

CONTRIBUTION
Depends on efficiency of cooling system Significance based on amount of cement reduced

DISADVANTAGE
Very wasteful. Durability problems from embedded pipes 28 day requirements? Durability may be compromised

Use superplastisizing admixtures

Can significantly reduce cement content. Significance dependant on amount of reduction achieved Can significantly reduce cement content ,delay hydration and reduce peak temperatures

Extra cost of superplasticizer over normal admixture cost Extra cost of admixture over normal admixture Setting times extended Formwork removal may be delayed

Use admixtures formulated for hydration control and/or significantly increase dosage

METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD
Use chilled water to partly or wholly replace mixing water

CONTRIBUTION
Significant - 4oC water temperature = Approx - 1oC concrete temperature Significant 50% ice = approximately - 10oC concrete temperature 100% ice = approximately - 17oC

DISADVANTAGE
Plant equipment expensive. Consumption usually exceeds supply capacity. Storage tanks usually required Usually expensive. Handling difficult, must be weighed. May not be available in remote areas. Expensive Handling difficult in remote areas. Difficult to control. Efficiency lost due to gas leakage to atmosphere during injection

Use ice to partly or wholly replace mixing water

Nitrogen gas injection

Depends on quantity of Nitrogen gas injected

METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD
Shade stockpiles

CONTRIBUTION
Significant Exposed stockpile temperatures can reach >50C in mid day direct sunlight

DISADVANTAGE
Extensive shading required - combination of shading and fresh deliveries of aggregates to manage temperatures effectively Some difficulty in maintaining uniform, effective, large scale spraying for mass pours moisture uniformity can be compromised Logistical difficulties as large pour cement demand maximizes available silage

Water spraying of stockpiles

Depends on requirements of pour and aggregate demand

Control temperature of fresh cement

Influence of cement temperature not significant as volume of cement is only about 12% of concrete mass

STOCKPILE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

EARLY THERMAL CONTRACTION CRACKS

No edge restraint Free to shrink? Less Self-insulation from lower section thickness

Thermal contraction of concrete after hardening

Sections > 0.5m thick considered Self-Insulating

Type H cracks

Base restraint from mature concrete

Internal restraint

LONG TERM DRYING SHRINKAGE CRACKS

Type I cracks

CRAZING
Primary causes - Impermeable form-face materials - Over-trowelling Secondary causes - Rich, pasty mixes - Poor curing - Thermal shock (application of cool water on hot surfaces) Time of appearance - 1 - 7 days, sometimes much later Remedial measures Improve curing Avoid over-trowelling

CRAZING

Type J cracks (crazing)

Plastic cling film wrap

Heat of hydration

Plastic cling film wrap creates cells

Heat of hydration

Cell heats up to higher temperature

SIMPLE INSULATION OF FORMWORK for CONCRETE BREAKWATERS GUAM 1998

CRACK FIELD REPORT

Site Location Date concrete placed Grade/type of concrete/slump Weather/site conditions at time of pouring Temperature range C, (check met.reports?) Wind conditions/speed (check met.reports?) Relative humidity (check met.reports?) Curing system used Type of structure Approximate dimensions Immediate sub-base Details of reinforcement especially top steel When was cracking first noted hours/days Cement type kg/m Fly Ash kg/m Coarse aggregate 20mm 10mm kg/m kg/m Fine aggregate (1) (2) Admixture mls/100kg mls/100kg
e.g dry, wet, sunny,changeable,cloudy, sunlight, shaded, exposed

kg/m (1) kg/m (2)