When concrete is prevented from shrinking freely, tensile stresses develop which frequently result in cracking. Cracks in reinforced concrete structures reduce overall durability by allowing the penetration of water and aggressive agents, thereby accelerating the deterioration of the reinforcing steel. Highway pavements, bridge decks, and industrial floors are especially susceptible to this type of deterioration since these structures exhibit high rates of shrinkage and are frequently exposed to aggressive environmental conditions.; The objectives of this investigation included the development of experimental procedures for assessing shrinkage cracking potential, the evaluation of mix composition on shrinkage cracking potential, and the development of theoretical models to simulate early-age cracking behavior. Specifically, the influence of a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) was investigated. The shrinkage-reducing admixture substantially reduces free shrinkage and restrained shrinkage cracking while providing similar mechanical properties. An experimental procedure was developed in which a pressurized cylindrical specimen was used to assess tensile creep. Electrical properties were investigated using impedance spectroscopy to evaluate the moisture profiles of drying and wetting concrete. Restrained shrinkage experiments were developed and shrinkage cracking was shown to be size/geometry dependent, even though shrinkage strains and residual stress levels were comparable. A fracture mechanics modeling approach was developed to predict the behavior of a variety of restrained concrete specimens. This modeling approach was used to successfully explain experimental results from a variety of mixture compositions and specimen geometries. The model was used to demonstrate the influence of material and structural properties on the potential for cracking. A favorable correlation was observed between the predictions of the fracture-based model and the experimentally observed size-dependent age of cracking considering structural size dependence with and without moisture gradients.
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