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

CRACKS OCCURING AFTER HARDENING

PLASTIC CRACKS

STRUCTURAL
CRACKS

PLASTIC SHRINKAGE
PLASTIC SETTLEMENT

DESIGN LOADS

THERMAL
CRACKS
EARLY AGE
THERMAL
CONTRACTION

CREEP
CONSTRUCTION
MOVEMENT

FORMWORK MOVEMENT

SUB-GRADE MOVEMENT

ACCIDENTAL
OVERLOAD

CHEMICAL
CEMENT
CARBONATION
ALKALI-AGGREGATE
REACTIONS
CORROSION OF
REINFORCEMENT

PHYSICAL
CRACKS
DRYING
SHRINKAGE

EXTERNAL
RESTRAINT

CRAZING

INTERNAL
TEMPERATURE
GRADIENTS

SHRINKABLE
AGGREGATE

EXTERNAL SEASONAL
TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS

FREEZE/THAW CYCLES

TYPE OF CRACK time of appearance

REF *

FORM, LOCATION, etc.

PRIMARY/SECONDARY
CAUSES
Excess bleeding (PC)

REMEDY *

Reduce
bleeding

PLASTIC
SETTLEMENT

TYPE A

Cracks over reinforcement

in deep sections

10 minutes to
three hours

TYPE B

Arching cracks in
columns

TYPE C

Cracks at change of depth

in slab/beam sections

Rapid early drying

conditions

PLASTIC
SHRINKAGE

TYPE D

Diagonal cracks in roads

and slabs

Rapid early drying (PC)

30 minutes to
six hours

TYPE E

Random cracks in
reinforced slabs

Low rate of bleeding

TYPE F

Cracks over reinforcement

in slabs

Ditto and steel near

surface

EARLY THERMAL
CONTRACTION

TYPE G

External restraint cracks

in thick walls or columns

Excess heat generation

(PC) rapid cooling

One day to three

weeks

TYPE H

Internal restraint cracks in

thick slabs

Excess temperature
gradients, rapid cooling

TYPE I

Cracking in thin slabs

and walls

Inefficient joints (PC)

Excess shrinkage and
inefficient curing

Reduce water
content
Improve curing

TYPE J

Cracks off the form in

fair-faced concrete

Impermeable formwork,
rich mixes, poor curing

Improve curing
and finishing

TYPE K

Cracks in power- floated

slabs

over-trowelling.

LONG TERM
DRYING SHRINKAGE
weeks - months
CRAZING
1 - 7 days
sometimes much later

Re-vibrate
Add Air
entrainment

Improve early
curing

Reduce heat
and/or insulate

SIMPLE CRACK MODEL

Crack relieves
tension

restraint

Restraint
Medium/long
term effects

Free to shrink

restraint

Restraint - short
term effects

Contraction
without stress

restraint

If dried out or
cooled with partial
or no restraint

no restraint

Initial state after pouring

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

Temperature C

Core
temperature

20C?

Temperature
differential

20C

Surface
temperature

Time after casting - hours

>20C?

Higher
Temperature
differential Possibility of
cracks?

EARLY THERMAL CHANGES - 24 HOURS

Formwork temperature say 55C
Cover to Insulate?
Insulation provided by formwork?

Insulation provided by formwork?

Ambient
temperature
say 35C?

No edge
restraint
Free to shrink?

Heat and
Expansion
75C?

Sections > 0.5m

thick considered
Self-Insulating

Maybe base
restraint from
mature concrete or
sub base material

EARLY REMOVAL OF FORMWORK - THERMAL SHOCK

Expansion

BASE RESTRAINT

Rapid cooling to ambient

temperature say 35C?

Tension!

Remove
forms early?

Core Heat
say 75C

Tension!

Rapid cooling to ambient

temperature say 35C?

Tension - Plastic shrinkage

Remove
forms early?

METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD

CONTRIBUTION

DISADVANTAGE

Pour concrete
continuously

Improves uniformity of
pouring temperatures

Places additional demands

on production and
handling

Pour concrete at night

Negligible.Depends on
speed and volume placed
and nature of hydration of
cement

Delay removal of formwork

Use insulated curing

methods

Significant contribution
Prevents thermal shock
Allows uniform controlled
cooling to take place

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

Extra logistical
considerations for night
working
Formwork re-use delayed

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

DISADVANTAGE

Depends on efficiency of
cooling system

Very wasteful.
Durability problems from
embedded pipes

Significance based on
amount of cement reduced

Use superplastisizing
admixtures

Can significantly reduce

cement content.
Significance dependant on
amount of reduction
achieved

Use admixtures formulated

for hydration control
and/or significantly
increase dosage

Can significantly reduce

cement content ,delay
hydration and reduce peak
temperatures

28 day requirements?
Durability may be
compromised

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

METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD

CONTRIBUTION

DISADVANTAGE

Use chilled water to partly

or wholly replace mixing
water

Significant
- 4oC water temperature =
Approx - 1oC concrete
temperature

Plant equipment expensive.

Consumption usually
exceeds supply capacity.
Storage tanks usually
required

Significant
50% ice = approximately
- 10oC concrete temperature
100% ice =
approximately - 17oC

Usually expensive.
Handling difficult, must be
weighed.
May not be available in
remote areas.

Depends on quantity of
Nitrogen gas injected

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

METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD
Shade stockpiles

Water spraying of
stockpiles

Control temperature of
fresh cement

CONTRIBUTION

DISADVANTAGE

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

Extensive shading required

- combination of shading
and fresh deliveries of
aggregates to manage
temperatures effectively

Depends on requirements
of pour and aggregate
demand

Some difficulty in
maintaining uniform,
effective, large scale
spraying for mass pours moisture uniformity can be
compromised

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

Logistical difficulties as
large pour cement demand
maximizes available silage

STOCKPILE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT

EARLY THERMAL CONTRACTION CRACKS

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

Type H cracks

Thermal
contraction of
concrete after
hardening

Base restraint
from mature
concrete

Sections > 0.5m

thick considered
Self-Insulating

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

e.g dry, wet, sunny,changeable,cloudy, sunlight,

shaded, exposed

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

Fly Ash

Coarse aggregate

Fine aggregate

Admixture

kg/m

20mm

kg/m

(1)

kg/m (1)

mls/100kg

kg/m

10mm

kg/m

(2)

kg/m (2)

mls/100kg