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
CRACKS OCCURING AFTER HARDENING
BEFORE HARDENING

PLASTIC CRACKS THERMAL

STRUCTURAL CRACKS PHYSICAL
CRACKS
CRACKS
PLASTIC SHRINKAGE EARLY AGE
DESIGN LOADS THERMAL
PLASTIC SETTLEMENT DRYING
CONTRACTION
SHRINKAGE
CREEP
CONSTRUCTION EXTERNAL
MOVEMENT RESTRAINT CRAZING
ACCIDENTAL
OVERLOAD
INTERNAL
FORMWORK MOVEMENT
CHEMICAL GRADIENTS AGGREGATE

SUB-GRADE MOVEMENT CEMENT

CARBONATION EXTERNAL SEASONAL
TEMPERATURE VARIATIONS
ALKALI-AGGREGATE
REACTIONS
FREEZE/THAW CYCLES

CORROSION OF
REINFORCEMENT
 TYPE OF CRACK - REF * FORM, LOCATION, etc. PRIMARY/SECONDARY REMEDY * *
time of appearance CAUSES

PLASTIC TYPE A Cracks over reinforcement Excess bleeding (PC) Reduce

SETTLEMENT in deep sections bleeding
10 minutes to TYPE B “Arching” cracks in Re-vibrate
three hours columns
TYPE C Cracks at change of depth Rapid early drying Add Air
in slab/beam sections conditions entrainment
PLASTIC TYPE D Diagonal cracks in roads Rapid early drying (PC)
SHRINKAGE and slabs
30 minutes to six TYPE E Random cracks in Low rate of bleeding Improve early
hours reinforced slabs curing
TYPE F Cracks over reinforcement Ditto and steel near
in slabs surface
EARLY THERMAL TYPE G External restraint cracks in Excess heat generation Reduce heat
CONTRACTION thick walls or columns (PC) rapid cooling and/or insulate
One day to three TYPE H Internal restraint cracks in Excess temperature
weeks thick slabs gradients, rapid cooling
LONG TERM TYPE I Cracking in thin slabs Inefficient joints (PC) Reduce water
DRYING SHRINKAGE and walls Excess shrinkage and content Improve
inefficient curing curing
weeks - months
CRAZING TYPE J Cracks “off the form” in Impermeable formwork, Improve curing
fair-faced concrete rich mixes, poor curing and finishing

1 - 7 days TYPE K Cracks in power- floated over-trowelling.

sometimes much later slabs
 SIMPLE CRACK MODEL
Initial state after pouring

Contraction
no restraint

without stress

restraint
If dried out or
cooled with partial Free to shrink
or no restraint
Crack relieves
tension
Restraint - short

restraint
restraint

term effects

Restraint
Medium/long
term effects 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 Uneven sub base
follows line of least acts as crack
resistance inducement - crack
follows line of least Type E - random
resistance
 PLASTIC SHRINKAGE CRACKS
Type F – over reinforcement

Tension

Insufficient reinforcement cover ? Differentiated from plastic settlement

(cracks induced by steel proximity cracks because plastic shrinkage cracks
to surface which is in tension tend to pass through slab depth
due to rapid drying)
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking
Plastic Shrinkage Cracking
 Thermal cracking - specification
Question - Why 70°C 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 >70°C 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 20°C?
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.
20°C taken as a conservative limit on differentials due to lack of knowledge
of local aggregate expansion coefficients
 EARLY THERMAL CONTRACTION CRACKS

Core
temperature
Temperature °C

≤20°C? 20°C
>20°C?

Higher
Temperature Surface Temperature
differential temperature differential -
Possibility of
cracks?

Time after casting - hours

 EARLY THERMAL CHANGES - 24 HOURS
Formwork temperature say 55°C
Ambient Cover to Insulate?
temperature
say 35°C?

Insulation provided by formwork?

Insulation provided by formwork?

No edge
restraint
Free to
shrink?

Sections > 0.5m

Heat and thick considered
Expansion “Self-Insulating”
75°C?

Maybe base
restraint from
mature concrete or
sub base material
 EARLY REMOVAL OF FORMWORK - THERMAL SHOCK

Tension - Plastic shrinkage

ve arly? R
for

Rapid cooling to ambient

Rapid cooling to ambient

temperature – say 35°C?

temperature – say 35°C?

Tension!
Core Heat
Tension!

say 75°C
Remo emove
forms e Expansion ms early?

BASE RESTRAINT
 METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD CONTRIBUTION DISADVANTAGE

Pour concrete Improves uniformity of Places additional demands
continuously pouring temperatures on production and handling

Pour concrete at night Negligible.Depends on Extra logistical

speed and volume placed considerations for night
and nature of hydration of working
cement
Delay removal of formwork Significant contribution Formwork re-use delayed
Prevents thermal shock
Allows uniform controlled
cooling to take place
Use insulated curing Significant reduction in Large scale use of insulation
methods temperature differentials. materials may be expensive
Enables more uniform
temperature rise and fall
 METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD CONTRIBUTION DISADVANTAGE

Install sacrificial cooling Depends on efficiency of Very wasteful.
system in the concrete in cooling system Durability problems from
the concrete mass embedded pipes

Reduce design strength Significance based on 28 day requirements?

margin or observe 60 or 90 amount of cement reduced Durability may be
day compliance compromised

Use superplastisizing Can significantly reduce Extra cost of

admixtures cement content. superplasticizer over
Significance dependant on normal admixture cost
amount of reduction
achieved
Use admixtures formulated Can significantly reduce Extra cost of admixture
for hydration control and/or cement content ,delay over normal admixture
significantly increase hydration and reduce peak Setting times extended
dosage temperatures Formwork removal may be
delayed
 METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD CONTRIBUTION DISADVANTAGE

Use chilled water to partly Significant Plant equipment expensive.
or wholly replace mixing - 4oC water temperature = Consumption usually exceeds
water Approx - 1oC concrete supply capacity.
temperature Storage tanks usually
required

Use ice to partly or wholly Significant Usually expensive.

replace mixing water 50% ice = approximately Handling difficult, must be
- 10oC concrete temperature weighed.
100% ice = May not be available in
approximately - 17oC remote areas.

Nitrogen gas injection Depends on quantity of Expensive

Nitrogen gas injected Handling difficult in
remote areas. Difficult to
control.
Efficiency lost due
to gas leakage to
atmosphere during injection
 METHODS EMPLOYED TO REDUCE EARLY AGE THERMAL CRACKING

METHOD CONTRIBUTION DISADVANTAGE

Shade stockpiles Significant Exposed Extensive shading required
stockpile - combination of shading and
fresh deliveries of aggregates
temperatures can reach
to manage temperatures
>50°C in mid day direct
effectively
sunlight

Water spraying of Depends on requirements Some difficulty in

stockpiles of pour and aggregate maintaining uniform,
demand effective, large scale
spraying for mass pours -
moisture uniformity can be
compromised
Control temperature of Influence of cement Logistical difficulties as
fresh cement temperature not significant large pour cement demand
as volume of cement is only maximizes available silage
about 12% of concrete mass
STOCKPILE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT
 EARLY THERMAL CONTRACTION CRACKS

No edge restraint
Free to shrink?
Sections > 0.5m
Less “Self-
Thermal thick considered
insulation” from
contraction of “Self-Insulating”
lower section
thickness
concrete after
hardening

Base restraint Internal

Type H cracks from mature restraint
concrete
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 Heat of hydration
cling film
wrap

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 ºC, (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 Coarse aggregate Fine aggregate Admixture

kg/m³ 20mm kg/m³ (1) kg/m³ (1) mls/100kg

Fly Ash kg/m³ 10mm kg/m³ (2) kg/m³ (2) mls/100kg