Shrinkage and Cracking of Concrete:

Mechanisms and Impact on Durability

Bauingenieurwissenschaften Master
Vertiefung in Werkstoffe und Mechanik
21.09-14.12.2011
every Wednesday 10:00-12:00
3 ECTS points
Lecturers: Prof. Dr. Pietro Lura
Dr. Mateusz Wyrzykowski

Berlin, Holocaust memorial

1

Lecture 1
Introduction to the course
Pietro Lura
Concrete & Construction Chemistry

Shrinkage and Cracking of Concrete: Mechanisms and Impact on Durability, ETHZ, fall 2011

Welcome

Welcome
This series of lectures, reading assignments, and a
final exam constitute a 3 ECTS points course
Participating students receive a DVD with lectures
(ppt and movies) of REACCT, a course with similar
topic held in 2008 at Purdue University

Reducing Early-age Cracking of

Concrete Today (REACCT 08)

July 28-29 2008, Purdue

University, IN, US
Graduate course (~30
students), series of 16*50
minute lectures

Instructors Jason Weiss, Dale Bentz and Pietro Lura

All lectures were filmed

4

REACCT 09

13 July 2009, Empa,

Dbendorf, Switzerland
International PhD Course, 2.5
ECTS points, 41 participants,
18*50 minute lectures
Instructors Karen Scrivener,
Hans Herrmann, Jason Weiss
and Pietro Lura
5

Contents

Instructor and students

Basics of cement and concrete

Basics of cracking

Course contents

Exam
6

About myself
MSc Civ.Eng., Univ. Brescia, Italy, 1992-1998
(Final Project, NTNU, Norway, 1997)
PhD, Delft Univ., The Netherlands, 1999-2003
Assistant Professor, DTU, Denmark, 2003-2006
Patent examiner, EPO, Germany, 2006-2008
Head of Lab, Empa, Switzerland, from 2008
NIST, Maryland, USA, 2002
Purdue University, Indiana, USA, 2005
TU Kaiserslautern, Germany, 2006
6
10-3 km/h

Empa is an interdisciplinary research

and services institution for material
sciences and technology
development within the ETH domain
in Switzerland
About 30 research laboratories,
900 employees
Concrete / Construction Chemistry
Laboratory, 25 people
8

Concrete & Construction Chemistry Laboratory

75

unaffected
core

Na2SO4
solution

70

gypsum

calcite

volume (cm /100 g cement)

65
60
55
50
45
40

ettringite
monocarbonate

35

portlandite

30
25
20
15

C-S-H

10

hydrotalcite

unhyd. clinker

0
1E-3

0.01

0.1

10

100

1000

ml Na2SO4 solution added /cm hydrated mortar

My main research interests

Early-age concrete properties

Plastic shrinkage
Pietro Lura
Autogenous shrinkage
Internal curing
Thermal dilation
Cracking and microcracking

(roar!)

AUTOGENOUS
SHRINKAGE

10

Mateusz Wyrzykowski
MSc Civ.Eng., Tech. Univ. of Lodz, Poland, 2000-2005
MSc Thesis at Univ of Padua, Italy, 2005
Software Engineer, Robobat/Autodesk Poland, 2005-2010
PhD, Tech. Univ. of Lodz, Poland 2005-2010
Postdoc researcher, Empa, Switzerland, from 2010

Main research interests:

Modelling phenomena in maturing concrete (early age, transport, shrinkage)


Early age concrete (autogenous shrinkage, properties evolution)


Curing of conrete


Thermal dilation
11

And what about you?

What is your background?

What are your interests?

Why do you follow this course?

What do you expect to learn?

12

Concrete

Sunniberg bridge, photo by M. Romer

13

What is concrete?
Concrete is a heterogeneous system of solid, discrete, gradiently
sized, inorganic mineral aggregates, usually plutonic (feldspathosilicaceous or ferro-magnesian) or sedimentary-calcareous in
origins, embedded in a matrix compound of synthesized polybasic alkaline and alkaloidal silicates held in aqueous solution and
co-precipitate dispersion with other amphoteric oxides, this matrix
being originally capable of progressive dissolution, hydration,
reprecipitation, gelation and solidification through a continuous
and coexistent series of crystalline, amorphous, colloidal and
cryptocrystalline
states
and
ultimately
subject
to
thermoallotriomorphic alteration, the system when first conjoined
being transiently plastic during which state it is impressed to a predetermined form into which it finally consolidates, thus providing a
Portland
Cement Associationstructure Source:
relatively
impermeable
and withhttp://www.cement.org
useful capacity to
transmit tensile, compressive and shear stresses.
14

Definitions

+
Cement

Water

Aggregate

= Binder

Mortar:
Max aggregate size
4 mm

Concrete:
Max aggregate size
8 mm

Hardened concrete

Fresh concrete

Winnefeld 2008

15

Importance for the economy

Data for Switzerland:

Cement production 2006 (source: cemsuisse1): 4.2 Mt

Cement import 0.8 Mt

3 cement producers with 7 plants (Holcim, Vigier, Jura)

Market volume of aggregates (source: FSKB2):
30 millions m3

Own production aggregates: 90%

Concrete production 2006 (source: FSKB): ca. 20 Mt

Own production concrete: 95%
1. Association of the Swiss Cement Industry
2. Fachverband der Schweizerischen Kies- und Betonindustrie

Winnefeld 2008

16

A versatile building material

17

and the most used one

10 km3 of concrete
or at least 1.5 m3 / person
every year

~3 Gt Portland cement
produced, causing 5% of
man-made CO2 emissions
(1 t Cement 0.75 t CO2)

Raw materials for cement and

aggregate production
18

Challenges for the future

Sustainability

Durable and dense

systems

Cement substitution,
alternative binders
19

Concretes bad image

Cracks facilitate transport of
harmful substances

Durability of concrete is reduced

Repair needed, often repair
of repair

Costs of repair often exceed
costs of original structure

20

10

Cracks from alkali-aggregate reaction (1)

Some types of
aggregates react with
the alkaline pore
solution in concrete
(may take years)

A silica-rich gel is
formed within the
aggregates

Pictures by A. Leemann

The aggregates
expand and cause
concrete cracking 21

Cracks from alkali-aggregate reaction (2)

Pictures by J.-G. Hammerschlag

22

11

Cracks from sulfate attack

Sulfate-containing
water reacts with
aluminate phases in
cement paste to
produce ettringite

Production of
ettringite causes
expansion and
cracking within the
cement paste
Pictures by A. Leemann

23

Consequences of cracking - steel corrosion

Cracks are preferred
pathways for
carbonation and
water and chloride
ions ingress
Picture from www.cowi.com

Steel bars corrode

and the corrosion
products expand

Picture by R. Loser

Expansion causes
cracking and more
corrosion
24

12

Consequences of cracking concrete corrosion

HCl solutions are used to
prepare metal surfaces in
galvanic plants

HCl solution penetrates
the pre-existing shrinkage
cracks and cause deep
corrosion of the concrete

Cracks are enlarged by
corrosion and more HCl
penetrates
Pictures by R. Loser

25

Are all cracks bad?

Cracks are essential
to reinforced concrete

Without cracks,
tensile stresses
cannot be transferred
to reinforcing bars

Giuriani et al. J Struct Eng 1991

Flexural cracks are

needed, but their
width needs to be
controlled by design
26

13

Hardening of concrete
Plastic phase

Setting

Hard concrete

Hollywood, California, 1953

27

Solid suspension

Cryo-nanotomography

Zingg et al. CCR 2008

28

14

Setting and hardening process

Suspension

Threshold of solid percolation

Solids fully connected

Ye, Lura, van Breugel and Fraaij CCC 2004

29

Early-age cracks in concrete

Weiss 2009, after British Cracking Manual

30

15

Joints vs. random cracking in concrete slabs

There are only two kinds of

concrete - concrete thats already
cracked and concrete thats about
to crack.

Bill Palmer
www.concretenetwork.com/blogs/billpalmer/2007/07/cracking-up.html

31

Early-age cracks in concrete (1)

Plastic shrinkage cracking

Photos by A. Leemann, 2008

32

16

Photo http://www.aggregateresearch.com/caf/file/newdeckcracking.pdf

Early-age cracks in concrete (2)

Drying shrinkage cracks, approach to a bridge (pilot project with HPC)

33

Early-age cracks in concrete (3)

Photo by R. Loser, 2008

Drying shrinkage cracks, top layer on old concrete

34

17

Early-age cracks in concrete (4)

Photo by R. Loser, 2009

Drying shrinkage cracks above a door

35

Early-age cracks in concrete (5)

Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2003

Thermal cracking

Photo by O.M. Jensen

36

18

What causes cracking?

Initial length

Unrestrained
length change
Restraint
stress
Cracking
Weiss 1999

37

Initial Specimen
Shrinkage Effect
Restraint Effect

d ( )
d (t , ) =
+ d SHR ( )
E ( )

Calculated Tensile Stress (MPa)

Stress development (1)

12
Stress Based
On Hookes Law

4
Stress In
Specimen

0
0

14

21

28

Age of Specimen (Days)

Weiss 1999

38

19

Initial Specimen
Shrinkage Effect
Restraint Effect

d ( )
d (t , ) =
+ d SHR ( )
E ( )
Creep/Cracking Effect
Stress Relaxation

d (t , ) =

(t , )
d ( )
+ d SHR ( ) + d ( )

E ( )
E28

Calculated Tensile Stress (MPa)

Stress development (2)

12
Stress Based
On Hookes Law

Stress
Relaxation

4
Stress In
Specimen

0
0

14

21

28

Age of Specimen (Days)

Final Stress State
Weiss 1999

39

Cracking conditions

Stress Level

Stress that develops to

maintain constant length

Material Resistance
i.e., Strength
Age of
Cracking

Age

Weiss 1999

40

20

Common attempts to reduce shrinkage cracking

Initial Specimen

d (t , ) =

Shrinkage Effect

Stress level

Restraint Effect

d ( )
+ d SHR ( )
E ( )

Material resistance
i.e., strength
Age of
cracking

Age

Weiss 1999

41

Example - Thermal cracking

870

young concrete

older concrete

Stress,
strength [MPa]
Temperature
[oC]

young concrete

Stress

60
6
50

Tensile
strength

440

=TT

30
2
20
0
100

24

48

72

96

72

96

120

144

168

192

216

240

-2 0

0
-4

24

48

120

144

Time [hrs]

168

192

216

240

Time [h]

Lura and van Breugel 2001

42

21

High-Strength Concrete in skyscrapers

Burj Khalifa, 828 m, opened 4.1.2010

First 156 floors made of high-strength
concrete (ACI definition of HSC: fc>40MPa)

Self-compacting pumpable concrete, cooled
with ice and cast at night

Source of text and figures: Wikipedia, Burj Dubai

43

Benefits of High-Strength Concrete

Higher strength

Higher stiffness

Low permeability

Low shrinkage

Low creep

Scaling and freeze-thaw resistance

Improved abrasion resistance

Weiss 1999

44

22

Shrinkage (

Misconception #1: HSC has lower shrinkage

Time (Days)

Shrinkage

1000
750
500

Aggregate volume (70%)

Shrinkage (

0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

Water to Cement Ratio

500

Aggregate volume (65%)

Measured at 24 hours
250

0
0.30

0.40

0.50

0.60

0.70

Water to Cement Ratio

Time (Days)

Actual Shrinkage

250

Measured
shrinkage

Measured
Shrinkage
Start time matters!
Weiss 2008, after Aitcin 1996

45

Misconception #2: Higher E is always good (1)

Initial Specimen
Shrinkage Effect
Restraint Effect

= E
Weiss 1999

Hookes law
Ut tensio, sic vis
Robert Hooke, FRS
1635 1703

46

23

Tensile Stress (MPa)

Misconception #2: Higher E is always good (2)

45

Higher Elastic Modulus

(if E , for = )

30
15
0
0

20

40

60

80

100

Compressive Strength (MPa)

Weiss 1999

47

Misconception #3: lower creep is always good (1)

"We can't prevent creep from happening,

but if we slow the rate at which it occurs,
this will increase concrete's durability and
prolong the life of the structures"

48

24

Initial Specimen
Shrinkage Effect
Restraint Effect

d ( )
d (t , ) =
+ d SHR ( )
E ( )
Creep/Cracking Effect
Stress Relaxation

d (t , ) =

(t , )
d ( )
+ d SHR ( ) + d ( )

E ( )
E28

Calculated Tensile Stress (MPa)

Misconception #3: lower creep is always good (2)

12
Stress Based
On Hookes Law

Stress
Relaxation

4
Stress In
Specimen

0
0

14

21

28

Age of Specimen (Days)

Final Stress State

Weiss 1999

49

Misconception #3: lower creep is always good (3)

12
Stress based
on Hookes law
Relaxation
i.e., creep

4
Specimen
strength

Stress in
specimen

0
0

14

21

Age of specimen (days)

28

Calculated tensile stress (MPa)

Calculated tensile stress (MPa)

Specimen with lower creep

12
Stress based
on Hookes law
Relaxation
i.e., creep

4
Stress in
specimen

Specimen
strength

0
0

14

21

28

Age of specimen (days)

Weiss 1999

50

25

Misconception #4: High early strength is always good

Reduce rate
Tensile stress

Tensile stress

Reduce magnitude
Strength

Stress
developed

Strength
Stress
developed

Time of drying

Time of drying

Reducing cracking potential: shrinkage rate and magnitude

Weiss 1999

51

Misconception #5: HSC is tougher (1)

Strength

Toughness

Arnold
Strong

Weiss 2008

Clint
Tough

52

26

D-a0

30
25

Crack Ratio =

aC-a0

(%)

Misconception #5: HSC is tougher (2)

20
15

aC

10
0

20

40

60

80

Comp. Strength (MPa)

Higher strength is more like glass

Weiss 1999

53

Outline of the course (1)

21.09:

Introduction (2h)

28.09:

Hydration and microstructure development (1h)

Powers' model (1h)

05.10:

Plastic shrinkage (1h)

Shrinkage mechanisms in hard. concrete (1h)

12.10:

Autogenous shrinkage (1h)

Drying shrinkage and gradients (1h)

19.10:

Influence of aggregate (1h)

Residual stress development (1h)

54

27

Outline of the course (2)

26.10:

Shrinkage-reducing admixtures (1h)

Internal curing (1h)

02.11:

Temperature-induced cracking (2h)

09.11:

Residual stresses and cracking practical

cases (1 h)
Transport and durability of cracked concrete (1h)

16.11:

Visit of the Concrete and Construction

Chemistry Laboratory, Empa
55

Outline of the course (3)

23.11, 30.11 and 7.12: Individual project by students.

We will be at ETHZ every Wednesday (or on
appointment) for discussion
14.12: final exam, 15-20 min presentation on topic of
project plus 5-10 minutes questions

56

28

Acknowledgements

J. Weiss, F. Winnefeld and D. Bentz

(slides, other course material)
A. Leemann, R. Loser, O.M. Jensen,
J.-G. Hammerschlag, M. Romer
(pictures)

57

The beauty of cracks

Doris Salcedo, Shibboleth, Tate Modern, London, 2007

58

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