Plastic shrinkage cracking in concrete slabs. Part II: numerical experiment and prediction of occurrence

Abstract

In the present paper, the influence on plastic shrinkage cracking of many factors related to concrete mixture properties and weather conditions are analysed through parametric studies using the numerical models introduced in the companion paper. First of all, through a systematic calculation of bleeding, a relationship between the bleeding constants and the concrete mixture is proposed on the basis of the experimental data previously obtained by many researchers. Moreover, an equation is introduced that can directly determine the critical point at which the evaporation and bleeding are balanced, and the efficiency of the introduced equation is verified through a correlation study between the results obtained with the introduced equations and those from rigorous analyses. The introduced equations can be effectively used to predict and prevent the occurrence of plastic shrinkage cracking without any rigorous analysis and, in addition, to cope with sudden changes in the concrete mixture and/or in weather conditions.