Title:
Comparison of Early-Age Crack Width Formulas for Reinforced Concrete
Author(s):
Barry P. Hughes and Carlos Videla Cifuentes
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
85
Issue:
2
Appears on pages(s):
158-166
Keywords:
age; cracking (fracturing); crack width and spacing; shrinkage; fresh concretes; reinforced concrete; restraints; thermal expansion; volume change; Structural Research
DOI:
10.14359/2715
Date:
3/1/1988
Abstract:
Understanding early thermal and shrinkage cracking of reinforced concrete structures has become of more practical interest in recent years as the early strengths of cements and early thermal cracking have tended to increase. Investigators have suggested various formulas that predict widely differing behaviors of structures subject to such volume changes. A theoretical model of the cracking behavior of fully restrained thin members, based on the "bond slip theory," has been developed, and equations have been derived that predict the cracking behavior and enable comparisons to be made with the theoretical assumptions and implications of recently suggested formulas. It is shown that while there is little difference in the total crack width (sum of the individual crack widths) predicted by the various formulas, the assumed cracking mechanism has a profound effect on predicted average crack widths.