Reinforcement corrosion

Carbonation
Concrete and fire exposure
Freeze/thaw resistance
Acid, soft water and sulfate attack

Examplesofintrinsiccracksinhypotheticalstructure
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 Plastic settlement

Formationofplasticsettlementcrack(initialandfinalstate)
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Plastic settlement (Visual appearance)

Generalplanviewofcracksfollowingbarpattern
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Plastic settlement (Visual appearance)

Sectionshowingundulations

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Plastic settlement (Visual appearance)

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 Prevention of plastic settlement cracking

Abruptchangesinsectiondepthcouldbeavoidedat
thedesigndetailingstage butthemainreductionof
riskisthroughmixdesignandsuitablecohesionof
theconcretetoreducebleeding.
Insimpletermsthiscanbeachievedbyincreasingthe
sandcontent.
Veryclean(marinedredged)sandtendtoassist
watermovement,soblendingwithadirtiersand
withahigherfines(<150micron)contentcanbe
beneficial.
Pozzolanicadditionsmayalsohelpastheyreduce
watercontentandaddtothefines.
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Plastic shrinkage

Processofplasticshrinkage
cracking
(initiationandfinalstate)

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Plastic shrinkage (Visual appearance)

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 Prevention of plastic shrinkage

Thecontroloftherateofevaporationiskey.
properearlycuring,efficientcuring
Theuseofpolypropylenefibresisclaimedtoimprove
thematrixtoreducebleedandprovidelocalized
tensilereinforcementintheplasticconcretethus
reducingtheriskofthesurfacetearing.

Othercracksinplasticconcrete
theaccidentalmovementofformwork

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Long-term drying shrinkage

Thelossofmoistureresultsinareductioninvolume,
knownasdryingshrinkage.
Thetimeatwhichshrinkagecracksoccurwilldepend
ontherateofdryingcausedbytheenvironmentbut,
atamaximumrateofdevelopment,isusually
severalmonthstothreeorfouryearsaftercasting.

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 Long-term drying shrinkage

Alargepartofconcreteshrinkageduringdrying(external
orinternal)iscontrolledbycapillarypressuredevelopingin
thepartiallywaterfilledpores.Thesecapillarystresseswill
causeadeformationoftheporousconcreteormortar.

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 Long-term drying shrinkage

Dryingshrinkagecracksonwall.Verticallinesindicatethe
positionofreinforcement. 13
Crazing

Crazingcanoccurbothonexposedsurfacesandon
surfacesincontactwithformwork

alayerconsistingmainlyofcementpastethat
mayhavealocallyhigherwatercontentthanthe
mass.Thesurfacedriesoutmorequicklythanthe
innermassandgoesintotension.

crazinghasoccurredearlyinthelifeofthemember
withinafewdaysofcasting

crazingisnotgenerallydetrimentaltodurability.
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AlkaliSilica Reaction (ASR)
AlkaliAggregateReactivity(AAR)

CrackingassociatedwithASR 15
Freeze/thaw resistance

Freeze/thawprocess(Linktoflashfile) 16
Freeze/thaw resistance

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Acid, soft water and sulfate attack

"hardwater"


""

"softwater" ""

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