Title:
Controlling Cracks in Power Plant
Structures
Author(s):
Robert W. Cannon
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
7
Issue:
5
Appears on pages(s):
51-58
Keywords:
cracking (fracturing); heat of hydration;
nuclear reactor containment; reinforced concrete; rein-forcing
steels; structural design; volume change.
DOI:
Date:
5/1/1985
Abstract:
Cracking of concrete in containment and power plant structures is likely to occur when the design engineer fails to account properly for volume changes due to the difference between peak hydration temperatures and minimum exposure conditions. Reinforcement may be used to restrict the size of single cracks, but control of the sum of all crack widths is totally dependent on controlling the change in volume. The function of rein forcement in control of shrinkage cracking is discussed and a procedure for estimating peak hydration temperatures is presented. The effect of design strength requirements on material costs and structural economy is examined to determine optimum strength requirements for design.