Assessment of Plastic Shrinkage Cracking and Its Impact on Durability

Fresh concrete may be susceptible to plastic shrinkage cracking. Cracks that develop at an early-age can significantly impact the durability of concrete structures. This study has developed a quantitative approach to determine the efficiency of fiber reinforcement for plastic shrinkage crack reduction. A semi-automated image analysis technique was used to process digital images of surface crack widths. Statistical analysis methods were used to determine the repeatability of the test as a proposed standard plastic cracking test method. Finally, the impact of premature cracking on the corrosion of steel reinforcement was quantitatively assessed.