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SpinDistribute.com Article Directory

The following article was published in our article directory on June 5, 2013.
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Dealing with Concrete Cracks

Article Category: Advice

Author Name: Dennis Graziano

You can only expect two things from concrete; it can get very hard and strong, or it will crack. Concrete cracks are a common thing everywhere. The concrete industry has been keen in educating customers about common causes of cracks, especially when it should start to become a concern.

Concrete cracks can result from certain factors (shrinkage, drying, internal/external shortening restraint, thermal contraction, subgrade settlement, applied loads, or from a combination of these factors. Cracking is not prevented; it can only be reduced significantly, or manipulated in other ways as soon as its causes are already determined and prevention measures are in place.

One particular, or rather disturbing concern associated with the cracking phenomenon is the public's perception about it. Cracks may be unsightly indeed, but consumers generally believe that a crack running the walls or on the floors means the product is a failure.

The thing is if cracks (in the case of wall cracks) are not structural or are not that wide (many considered the acceptable range is from 1/16th to 1/4th of an inch), then these are considered acceptable. It is for this reason that the concrete industry is busy educating consumers about when cracks should start to concern them these days.

Cracks occurring before the hardening phase are due to concrete mass settlement or surface shrinkage caused by water loss. Settlement cracks may develop over embedded items (like reinforcing steel) with ease. The same thing happens in the case of hardened concrete as it starts to settle/subside. Settlement cracking is the result of having insufficient consolidation (the conditions that lead to vibration), instances of high slumps, or insufficient cover from the embedded items mentioned.

Another common concrete cracks issue is attributed to plastic-shrinkage. These short cracks are often manifest just before the final finishing phase. Such cracks also form during days with high temperatures and low humidity. Surface moisture tends to evaporate much faster than the rising bleed water. This will cause surfaces to shrink significantly. Since the interior portion of the concrete is forced to restrain the shrinkage, stress will develop. And it will exceed the overall tensile strength of the concrete. Under certain circumstances, new cracks will form up.

Cracks occurring after the hardening process are usually the result of thermal contraction, subgrade settlement, and drying shrinkage. While still drying, hardened concrete is known to shrink. One good way to accommodate this and control the cracks would be by placing construction joints.

A major factor that influence concrete's drying shrinkage property is the water content found on the concrete itself. Whenever the water content increases, the shrinkage would also increase as well.

Concrete cracks are also the result of the freezing or thawing of saturated concrete, sulfate attack, alkali-aggregate reactivity, or corrosion due to the presence of reinforcing steel. Cracks manifesting due to these specific causes wouldn't appear for some time however. A proper mix design is needed to reduce the risks of the concrete developing cracks and deterioration in the long run. The same can also be said in the selection of appropriate concrete designs.

Keywords: reinforcing concrete, concrete admixtures, welded wire, synthetic mesh, concrete cracks, concrete slump, pouring a concrete slab

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