Concrete Cracking Webinar June 17 2020 - PDF Notes PDF

6/17/2020
TECHNICAL WEBINAR
ACI-SAC in collaboration with
ACI International, USA
American Concrete Institute

Saudi Arabia Chapter
Eastern Province
Concrete Cracking
WELCOME MODERATOR
Dr. Salah Uthman Al-Duleijan Dr. Muhammad Kalim Rahman
President, ACI-SAC Vice President, ACI-SAC

Eastern Province
Concrete Cracking
Speaker: Dr. Jerzy Zemajtis
Dr. Jerzy Zemajtis is a Senior Engineer at ACI. His role at ACI is to provide
technical and administrative support to ACI's Technical Committees. He
received his BS and MS in civil engineering from the Technical University of
Gdansk, Poland, and his PhD in civil engineering from Virginia Tech. Dr
Zemajtis worked as a Structural Engineer in Virginia Beach, VA, and
Vancouver, Canada, and as a Civil/Materials Engineer at Construction
Technology Laboratories in Chicago, IL, before joining the ACI Engineering
Department in 2010. He is a licensed engineer in Washington and British
Columbia.
American Concrete Institute is a Registered Provider with The American Institute

of Architects Continuing Education Systems (AIA/CES). Credit(s) earned on
completion of this online course will be reported to AIA/CES for AIA members.
This program is registered is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional

education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be
an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method
or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.
Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the
conclusion of this presentation.
The American Institute of Architects has approved this course for 1 AIA/CES
LU Learning Unit.
American Concrete Institute is registered as a Preferred Provider with the

International Code Council (ICC) and this presentation is approved for 1.0 PDH
The American Institute of Architects has approved

this course for 1 AIA/CES LU learning unit.
ACI is an AIA/CES registered provider.
1
6/17/2020
Jerzy Żemajtis
jerzy.zemajtis@concrete.org
Online Webinar – June 17, 2020

Eastern Province
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6/17/2020
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11
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Concrete Cracking
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify causes of concrete cracking
2. Identify mechanisms for cracking in fresh
concrete.
3. Identify mechanisms for cracking in hardened
concrete.
4. Learn crack evaluation techniques and crack
repair.
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Scope
• Introduction to Cracking
• Causes and control of cracking
Fresh concrete
Hardened concrete
• Evaluation of cracking
• Crack repair
(Photo credit: web)
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13
Introduction to Cracking
• Are cracks of concern?

• “It depends” (on location, extent,
depth, and width of cracks)
Concerns
Structural Aesthetic
performance
Durability
14
14
• Reasons for Concrete Cracking

Concrete volume change
• Temperature
• Moisture loss/gain
Restraint conditions
Load induced
Tensile strength of concrete Photo credit: PCA
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6/17/2020
Two things to
remember:
• Shrinkage
effects are
additive
• NEVER A
SINGLE
MECHANISM!!
Photo credit: PCA
16
16
(Source: PCA, EB001)
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17
• How much movement can we expect?

Assumptions (shrinkage):
• Shrinkage = 600×10-6 in./in. [m/m] ΔL: ~ ¾ in. (18 mm)
• Concrete section length = 100 ft [30 m] (0.016 in. crack @ 2 ft)
[0.41 mm @ 0.6 m]
Assumptions (thermal):
• Coef. of thermal expansion = 7×10–6 in./in./ºF [12×10-6/ºC]
• Temp. differential = 70ºF [39ºC]
• Concrete section length = 100 ft [30 m] ΔL: ~ ½ in. [14 mm]
(0.016 in. crack @ 3 ft)
[0.41 mm @ 0.9 m]
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18
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Restraint
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19
Reinforcing Steel as Crack Control
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Scope
• Introduction to cracking
Fresh concrete
Hardened concrete
• Crack repair
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Causes and Control of Cracking
• Fresh concrete • Hardened concrete

Plastic shrinkage Drying / autogenous shrinkage
Settlement Thermal
Chemical
• AAR
• Sulfate attack, DEF
• Mechanism Freezing and thawing
• Damage Corrosion
• Prevention Construction / design / detailing
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Plastic Shrinkage - Mechanism
• Moisture evaporation
• Surface concrete shrinkage
• Restraint by underlying concrete
• Tensile stresses
• Cracks formation
Photo credit: CTLGroup
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Plastic Shrinkage – Mechanism
• Factors affecting plastic

shrinkage cracking formation:
Rapid loss of moisture
• high air and concrete temperatures
• low relative humidity
• high wind velocity at concrete surface
Concrete mixture composition
• Concrete with mineral admixtures
(especially silica fume) lead to less
bleed water
24
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Plastic Shrinkage - Damage
• Plastic shrinkage cracking

characteristics:
Shallow cracks
Random pattern
Typically parallel to one another
Width: up to about 1/8 in.
[3 mm] at the surface
Length: typically from few inches
to many feet
Spacing: from few inches [cm] to
as much as 10 ft [3 m] apart
Photo credit: Virginia Tech and CTLGroup
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Slab-on-Ground
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Slab-on-Ground – Near Surface Regions
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Plastic Shrinkage – Damage
Bridge Deck
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Plastic Shrinkage – Damage
Bridge Deck
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Plastic Shrinkage - Prevention
• Steps to prevent rapid

moisture loss due to hot
weather and dry winds
Use fog nozzles
Photo credit: Associated Engineering, BC
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Use fog nozzles
Use plastic sheeting
Install windbreaks
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Use fog nozzles
Use plastic sheeting
Install windbreaks
Reschedule concrete
placement / initiate
operations at night
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Settlement – Mechanism
• Inadequate vibration
• Leaking or flexible/loose
forms
• Restraint by reinforcing
steel
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Settlement – Prevention
• Form design (in accordance with ACI 347)

• Concrete vibration (and revibration)
• Reduced slump
• Increased concrete cover
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Drying Shrinkage – Mechanism
• Loss of moisture
from cement paste
• Restraint
(no restraint – no
cracking)
• Tensile stresses
Photo credit: PCA
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• Drying shrinkage is
influenced mainly by
Amount and type of
aggregate
Cement paste content
Relative humidity (RH)
Source: ACI 224R, Control of Cracking of Concrete Structures
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• Drying shrinkage is
influenced mainly by
Amount and type of
aggregate
Cement paste content
Relative humidity (RH)
Source: ACI 224R, Control of Cracking of Concrete Structures
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Autogenous Shrinkage
• “special case of drying shrinkage”

results from self-desiccation (internal drying) in
concretes with w/cm < 0.42
most often observed at w/cm < 0.30
• Occurs without loss of moisture (from bulk
concrete)
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Drying Shrinkage – Damage
Bridge Deck
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Drying Shrinkage – Prevention
• Shrinkage cracking can be controlled by

Using contraction joints, and
Proper detailing of the reinforcement
• Shrinkage cracking may be reduced or even
eliminated by using
Shrinkage-compensating cement
Shrinkage-reducing admixture
Lower amount of cement / lower amount of water
Greater amount of aggregate (and larger size)
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Thermal Deformation – Mechanism
• Temperature differences
→ differential volume
changes
• Temperature differentials
result from:
heat of hydration (mass
concrete)
changes in the ambient
temperature (affects
any structure/member)
Photo credit: Virginia Tech and CTLGroup
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41

70
Inside 35 °C
60 Temperature
30 °C
Temperature Rise, °F
50
25 °C
ΔT > 20°C
40
(35°F)
20 °C
Form Removal
30
15 °C
Surface Temperature
20
10 °C
10 Unprotected 5 °C
surface cools fast
0 0 °C
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Days Source: IS 128.03T (PCA)
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6/17/2020

70
Inside 35 °C
60 Temperature
ΔT < 20°C 30 °C
Temperature Rise, °F
50 (35°F)
25 °C
ΔT > 20°C
40
(35°F)
20 °C
Form Removal
30
Protected surface 15 °C
Surface Temperature
20
10 °C
Protected surface
10 Unprotected cools slowly, 5 °C
surface cools fast no cracking
0 0 °C
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Days Source: IS 128.03T (PCA)
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Thermal Deformation – Damage
Bridge Abutment
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Thermal Deformation – Damage
Slab-on-Ground
Sidewalk
set above
pavement
pavement
No. of Full strips =
Depth 500 ft
Isolation/ [150 m] Expansion
Expansion long of adjacent
Joints = 0 pavement
Photo credit: George Seegebrecht, Concrete Consulting Engineers LLC

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Thermal Deformation - Prevention
• Reduce maximum internal temperature

• Control rate of concrete cooling
Form removal timing
Insulation blankets
• Allow for movement
Proper design of contraction and isolation joints
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Alkali-Aggregate Reaction (AAR)
Photo credit: PCA
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AAR (ASR and ACR) – Mechanism
• Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) and Alkali-

Carbonate Reaction (ACR):
Cement alkalis react with certain aggregates
• ASR only: silica gel forms and fills cracks and
cavities
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AAR (ASR and ACR) – Mechanism
• Conditions necessary to
initiate and sustain AAR
in concrete:
Reactive aggregate in
concrete
High concentration of
alkali hydroxides in
pores
Supply of moisture
Photo credit: PCA
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AAR (ASR and ACR) – Damage
• Cracking (alligator pattern)

• White deposits (ASR) – gel
(efflorescence like)
• Gross expansion of
concrete
• Total disintegration of
concrete
Photo credit: Fred Strang, New Brunswick MoT
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ASR Petrography
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• ACR Petrography
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Dam
Photo credit: PCA
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AAR (ASR and ACR) – Prevention
• Aggregate selection
Use non-reactive aggregate
Mixing reactive w/ non-reactive aggregates
• Limiting the alkali content in concrete
Low-alkali cements
• Supplementary cementitious materials
• Chemical additives (lithium-based) – ASR
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6/17/2020
Sulfate Attack
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Sulfate Attack – Mechanism
• External sources of sulfates

Soils, groundwater
• Formation of:
Ettringite (and brucite)  expansive reaction
products
Gypsum  chemical alteration  softening of
concrete matrix
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Sulfate Attack – Damage
• “Mush concrete”
• Cracking (expansive
reactions)
• Complete disintegration Type V cement, w/c = 0.65
(few years)
Photo credit:
PCA
Type V cement, w/c = 0.39
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6/17/2020
Sulfate Attack – Prevention
• High quality, low permeability concrete (w/cm)

• Sulfate-resistant cements (low C3A)
• Fly ash, slag, or silica fume
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Delayed Ettringite Formation (DEF)
• Form of sulfate attack

• Attributed to accelerated
curing
• Critical temperature for
DEF – between 158 and
185ºF [70 and 85ºC]
• Expansion and formation
of gaps around
aggregate particles

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Weathering
• Freezing and thawing

• Alternate wetting and
drying
• Heating and cooling
Photo credit: PCA
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6/17/2020
Freezing & Thawing – Mechanism
• Water (weak alkali solution) cooling

• Ice crystals formation
• Osmotic potential development – water
movement within pores
• Continued ice formation
• Cracking occurs
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Freezing & Thawing – Damage
• Cracking – parallel to the surface

• Failure w/o AEA
Critical saturation of paste
Critical saturation of aggregate
• Failure w/ AEA
Critical saturation of aggregate
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Freezing & Thawing – Damage
• Failure w/o AEA • Failure w/ AEA

Critical saturation of paste Critical saturation of aggregate
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6/17/2020
Freezing & Thawing - Prevention
• Use lowest practical w/cm

• Use durable aggregate
• Specify adequate air entrainment
• Provide adequate curing (and drying) before 1st
freezing cycle
• Design to minimize exposure to moisture
(geometry, drainage, joints)
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Corrosion of Reinforcing Steel
Photo credit: Virginia Tech
65
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Corrosion – Mechanism
• Electrochemical process
• Passive film - high pH
• Moisture and oxygen
• Causes
Galvanic coupling
Carbonation
Chloride ions
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66
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6/17/2020
Carbonation
• Carbonation check:
Freshly exposed
concrete surface
Phenolphthalein solution
• Colorless – carbonated
• Pink/magenta -
uncarbonated
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Corrosion – Damage
• Penetration of chlorides / Corrosion initiation

• Rust formation – voluminous corrosion products
• Cracking, delamination, spalling
• Accelerated corrosion
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Corrosion Damage – Residential Building
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Corrosion Damage – Parking Garage
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Corrosion - Prevention
• Concrete cover, concrete quality, proper curing,

low w/cm
• Mineral admixtures, corrosion inhibitors,
corrosion resistant steel (stainless, …)
• Waterproofing, surface treatments
• Cathodic protection, chloride extraction
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Poor Construction Practices
• Construction practices’
related cracking
Adding water to concrete
(more water = more
shrinkage)
Lack of curing / early
termination of curing
Inadequate consolidation
Inadequate formwork
supports
Poor surface preparation
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related cracking
(more water = more
shrinkage)
Inadequate formwork
supports
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related cracking
(more water = more
shrinkage)
Inadequate formwork
supports
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Errors in Design/Detailing or Poor Construction
• Low edge distances for embedments

• Inadequate amount of reinforcement
• Improper selection or detailing of
reinforcement
• Restraint of members subjected to
volume changes
• Lack of adequate
isolation/expansion joints
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75
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6/17/2020
Errors in Design/Detailing or Poor Construction
• Restraint and lack of adequate

isolation/expansion joints
Photo
credit:
PCA
76
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Errors in Design/Detailing
77
77
Errors in Design/Detailing
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78
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Scope
Fresh concrete
Hardened concrete
• Crack repair
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Evaluation of Cracking
• Methods to determine location and extent of

cracking:
1. Direct and indirect observations
2. Nondestructive testing
3. Test cores from the structure
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Evaluation of Cracking:
1. Direct and indirect observations
• Crack comparator
• Mechanical movement
indicators
• Transducers and data-
acquisition systems
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2. Nondestructive Testing (NDT)
• NDT can be used to:

Determine location and extent
of internal cracks and voids
Determine depth of cracks
visible at the surface
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NDT Example
Nuclear power plant maintenance
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3. Test Cores
• Accurate measurement of width and depth of

cracks
• Petrographic examinations (ASTM C856)
Causes of cracking
• Chemical tests
Chlorides
• Petrographic examination / chemical tests
w/cm, cement content
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Scope
Fresh concrete
Hardened concrete
• Crack repair
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Crack Repair – Evaluation Data
• Time of occurrence
• Pattern of cracking or frequency
• Do cracks allow moisture passage?
• Width of cracks
• Passive or active (moving)
86
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Crack Repair – Tolerable Crack Widths
Source: ACI 224R, Control of Cracking
87
87
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6/17/2020
Crack Repair – Material Choices
• Rigid Materials: • Flexible Materials: • Elastomeric Materials:

Portland cement Semi-rigid epoxies Polyurethane grout
grouts Polyureythane
Polymer-modified Silicone
cement grouts
Strip-and-seal systems
Polymer grouts Polyurea
Epoxy resins
Methacrylates
DORMANT ACTIVE
Source: ACI 546.3R, Guide to Materials Selection for Concrete Repair
88
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Crack Repair – Material Considerations
• Bond strength / adhesive strength • Equal or similar

• Elasticity and modulus of elasticity to substrate
• Tensile strength and elongation • Appearance
• Flexural strength / modulus of • Durability
rupture
• Compressive strength and hardness
• Coefficient of thermal expansion
• Volume stability / shrinkage
• Viscosity and pot-life
• Cyclic movement capability / fatigue
• Temperature and humidity
Source: ACI 546.3R, Guide to Materials Selection for Concrete Repair
89
89
Crack Repair
• Follow Application Requirements

Mixing sequence/ bonding agents / Curing
method and duration
• Installation conditions:
Temperature, humidity, sun
or shade
Moisture presence:
• Surface
• In-crack
90
90
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Scope
Fresh concrete
Hardened concrete
• Crack repair
91
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References
• ACI 201.2R, Guide to Durable Concrete

• ACI 224.1R, Causes, Evaluation, and Repair of Cracks in
Concrete Structures
• ACI 224R, Control of Cracking of Concrete Structures
• ACI 231R, Report on Early-Age Cracking: Causes,
Measurement, and Mitigation
• ACI 308R, Guide to Curing Concrete
• ACI 546.3R, Guide to Materials Selection for Concrete
Repair
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Thank you
For the most up-to-date information please
visit the American Concrete Institute at:
www.concrete.org
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31

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6/17/2020

American Concrete Institute

American Concrete Institute

American Concrete Institute is a Registered Provider with The American Institute

This program is registered is registered with AIA/CES for continuing professional

American Concrete Institute is registered as a Preferred Provider with the

The American Institute of Architects has approved

Online Webinar – June 17, 2020

American Concrete Institute

• A technical and educational society dedicated

• A Trade or Promotional Association

Architects | Consultants | Contractors | Educators | Engineers

More than 400 technical

From finishers and technicians, to supervisors,

That’s over 400,000 individuals certified since

More than 220 online learning modules

A Gift from ACI!

One-year subscription options

• ACI Collection of Concrete Codes, Specifications, and Practices

• ACI University All-Access Digital Subscription

• ACI Concrete Repair Digital Subscription

(Photo credit: web)

• Are cracks of concern?

• Reasons for Concrete Cracking

Tensile strength of concrete Photo credit: PCA

Photo credit: PCA

(Source: PCA, EB001)

• How much movement can we expect?

Reinforcing Steel as Crack Control

Causes and Control of Cracking

• Fresh concrete • Hardened concrete

Plastic Shrinkage - Mechanism

Photo credit: CTLGroup

Plastic Shrinkage – Mechanism

• Factors affecting plastic

Plastic Shrinkage - Damage

• Plastic shrinkage cracking

Plastic Shrinkage - Damage

Photo credit: CTLGroup

Plastic Shrinkage - Damage

Slab-on-Ground – Near Surface Regions

Photo credit: CTLGroup

Plastic Shrinkage – Damage

Photo credit: CTLGroup

Plastic Shrinkage – Damage

Photo credit: CTLGroup

Plastic Shrinkage - Prevention

• Steps to prevent rapid

Photo credit: Associated Engineering, BC

Plastic Shrinkage - Prevention

• Steps to prevent rapid

Photo credit: Associated Engineering, BC

Plastic Shrinkage - Prevention

• Steps to prevent rapid

Photo credit: Associated Engineering, BC

Photo credit: CTLGroup

• Form design (in accordance with ACI 347)

Drying Shrinkage – Mechanism

Photo credit: PCA

Drying Shrinkage – Mechanism

Source: ACI 224R, Control of Cracking of Concrete Structures

Drying Shrinkage – Mechanism

Source: ACI 224R, Control of Cracking of Concrete Structures