Effect of cracking in drying and shrinkage specimens

Zdeněk P. Baǎnt; Warren J. Raftshol

doi:10.1016/0008-8846(82)90008-4

Effect of cracking in drying and shrinkage specimens

Zdeněk P. Baǎnt^*, Warren J. Raftshol

^*Corresponding author for this work

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

129 Scopus citations

Abstract

The significance of cracking and microcracking caused by nonuniform drying shrinkage of test specimens is analyzed. To assure that no cracks are produced by drying in load-free specimens, one must lower the environmental humidity gradually and sufficiently slowly, and use very thin specimens (about 1 mm thick). Graphs for the maximum admissible rate of change of environmental humidity, calculated from both linear and nonlinear diffusion theories, are provided. The spacing and width of parallel cracks due to drying are estimated from fracture mechanics considerations. In normal size specimens the drying cracks are usually too narrow to be visible. Drying leads to discontinuous microcracking rather than continuous macrocracks and is represented better as strain softening than as an abrupt stress drop. Shrinkage cracking can increase drying diffusivity by several orders of magnitude.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	209-226
Number of pages	18
Journal	Cement and Concrete Research
Volume	12
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0008-8846(82)90008-4
State	Published - Mar 1982

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Building and Construction
Materials Science(all)

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abstract = "The significance of cracking and microcracking caused by nonuniform drying shrinkage of test specimens is analyzed. To assure that no cracks are produced by drying in load-free specimens, one must lower the environmental humidity gradually and sufficiently slowly, and use very thin specimens (about 1 mm thick). Graphs for the maximum admissible rate of change of environmental humidity, calculated from both linear and nonlinear diffusion theories, are provided. The spacing and width of parallel cracks due to drying are estimated from fracture mechanics considerations. In normal size specimens the drying cracks are usually too narrow to be visible. Drying leads to discontinuous microcracking rather than continuous macrocracks and is represented better as strain softening than as an abrupt stress drop. Shrinkage cracking can increase drying diffusivity by several orders of magnitude.",

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AU - Baǎnt, Zdeněk P.

AU - Raftshol, Warren J.

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AB - The significance of cracking and microcracking caused by nonuniform drying shrinkage of test specimens is analyzed. To assure that no cracks are produced by drying in load-free specimens, one must lower the environmental humidity gradually and sufficiently slowly, and use very thin specimens (about 1 mm thick). Graphs for the maximum admissible rate of change of environmental humidity, calculated from both linear and nonlinear diffusion theories, are provided. The spacing and width of parallel cracks due to drying are estimated from fracture mechanics considerations. In normal size specimens the drying cracks are usually too narrow to be visible. Drying leads to discontinuous microcracking rather than continuous macrocracks and is represented better as strain softening than as an abrupt stress drop. Shrinkage cracking can increase drying diffusivity by several orders of magnitude.

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Effect of cracking in drying and shrinkage specimens

Abstract

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