Why concrete columns
can crack
Creep may be the most common cause
BY RAYMOND A. DIPASQUALE
ARCHITECT/STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
nvestigators of cracking problems in concrete struc-
I tures have from time to time noticed horizontal and
vertical cracks in concrete columns. How does this
happen when cracking indicates tension in the con-
crete whereas columns usually are in compression?
Tension a possibility
Ruling out pure compressive overload, there are three
possible explanations. First, the columns may in fact be
in tension due to an isolated settlement of the founda-
tion. In this case, the column could be “hanging” from
the floor system above, resulting in tensile cracking.
Next, if the column is the end or exterior one in a
structural bent or frame, it may have high enough bend-
ing to cause tensile forces in the outside face. This con-
dition would produce horizontal cracks which would
disappear on the inside face.
Creep behavior
The third and most likely explanation has to do with
creep and shrinkage. Both are related phenomena. Un-
der constant compressive stress, concrete continues to
deform with time. The rate of this time-dependent de-
formation (strain), which is called creep, depends on
many factors. Here are some of them:
• The magnitude of the sustained stress; the higher the
load, the greater the creep.
• The strength of the concrete. Creep is greatest when
the strength of the concrete is low.
• The duration of the loading period.
• The age of the concrete at the time of loading; creep is
greater when the concrete is loaded at an early age.
• The characteristics of the aggregates.
• The quantity of cement paste. Creep is approximately
proportional to the amount of paste in the mix.
The rate of creep is greater for small members and in
concretes with high water-cement ratios, high cement
contents, large slumps or those cured in a dry atmos-
phere. Creep is greatest immediately after load applica-
tion but decreases rapidly asymptotically as shown in
the graph. For concretes cured in air, about one-quarter
of the total creep potential takes place during the first 2
weeks of loading, one-half during the first 3 months, and
three-quarters during the first year. Concrete loaded af-
ter 4 years or more creeps very little and recovers almost
completely after being unloaded.
Stress redistribution
With this as background, what really happens in a re-
inforced concrete column is that creep causes the con-
crete to unload its compressive stress and transfer it to
the reinforcing steel. In other words, a redistribution of
Creep increases rapidly when
load is first applied, then
increases more slowly as
time goes by, and finally
shows little or no change at
extended durations of
loading. Data adapted from
Hardened Concrete: Physical
and Mechanical Aspects, by
Adam Neville, published by
the American Concrete
Institute, Detroit, 1971;
based on concretes stressed
at 1000 psi.
stress takes place which is directly proportional to the
amount of reinforcing steel in the column—the higher
the percentage of steel, the more load the steel carries
so that with about 8 percent reinforcement, the steel car-
ries almost 100 percent of the load. With about 4 percent
steel, the load distribution is approximately 90 percent
on the bars and only 10 percent in the concrete.
This explains why cracking can occur in the concrete
“shell.” Due to the unloading, there is little compressive
stress left in the concrete to compensate for or overcome
shrinkage stress or other factors such as temperature
which can subject the columns to tension.
Safety factor remains
It is interesting that in all of this, the factor of safety
against ultimate failure of the column remains practical-
ly unaltered. Although the effect of creep in prestressed
concrete for example can be harmful in that it reduces
the amount of prestress, and in tall buildings differen-
tial creep can cause movement and cracking of parti-
tions or other structural effects in beams and slabs, the
overall picture is that creep, unlike shrinkage, is benefi-
cial in relieving stress concentrations and has con-
tributed considerably to the success of concrete as a
structural material.
Acknowledgement
Reprinted with permission from Building Failures Forum, Vol.
1, No. 4, January 1981.
PUBLICATION #C810737
Copyright © 1981, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved