<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper focuses on the causes and consequences of early-age cracking of mass concrete foundation slabs due to restrained volume changes. Considering the importance of water leaking through cracks in terms of the serviceability, durability and environmental impact of watertight concrete structures, emphasis is placed on the effect of temperature loads on foundation slabs. Foundation slabs are usually restrained to some degree externally or internally. To evaluate the effect of external restraints on foundation slabs, friction and interaction models are introduced. The reinforcement of concrete cannot prevent the initiation of cracking, but when cracking has occurred, it may act to reduce the spacing and width of cracks. According to EN 1992-1-1, results of calculating crack widths with local variations included in National Annexes (NAs) vary considerably. A comparison of the required reinforcement areas according to different NAs is presented.</p></abstract>

This paper focuses on the causes and consequences of early-age cracking of mass concrete foundation slabs due to restrained volume changes. Considering the importance of water leaking through cracks in terms of the serviceability, durability and environmental impact of watertight concrete structures, emphasis is placed on the effect of temperature loads on foundation slabs. Foundation slabs are usually restrained to some degree externally or internally. To evaluate the effect of external restraints on foundation slabs, friction and interaction models are introduced. The reinforcement of concrete cannot prevent the initiation of cracking, but when cracking has occurred, it may act to reduce the spacing and width of cracks. According to EN 1992-1-1, results of calculating crack widths with local variations included in National Annexes (NAs) vary considerably. A comparison of the required reinforcement areas according to different NAs is presented.

Causes of Early-Age Thermal Cracking of Concrete Foundation Slabs and their Reinforcement to Control the Cracking

Department of Concrete Structures and Bridges

Slovak Journal of Civil Engineering

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

This paper focuses on the causes and consequences of early-age cracking of mass concrete foundation slabs due to restrained volume changes. Considering the...

Causes of Early-Age Thermal Cracking of Concrete Foundation Slabs and their Reinforcement to Control the Cracking

Published Online: Oct 03, 2017

Page range: 8 - 14

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjce-2017-0013

Keywords
Watertight concrete, Foundation slab, Restrained contractions, Early-age cracking, Reinforcement

© 2017 Juraj Bilčík et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Causes of Early-Age Thermal Cracking of Concrete Foundation Slabs and their Reinforcement to Control the Cracking

Published Online: Oct 03, 2017

Page range: 8 - 14

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/sjce-2017-0013

KeywordsWatertight concrete, Foundation slab, Restrained contractions, Early-age cracking, Reinforcement

© 2017 Juraj Bilčík et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Watertight concrete, Foundation slab, Restrained contractions, Early-age cracking, Reinforcement