Model of normal cracks level formation and opening in stretched reinforced concrete elements

Abstract

The article highlights the most important studies results of the mechanism of normalcracks formation and opening in stretched reinforced concrete elements during their deformation. Acritical analysis of the existing methods and ways for calculating normal cracks level formation andopening, in which the reinforcement to concrete adhesion is taken into account directly or indirectly,is carried out. The main advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods are indicated. It hasbeen experimentally confirmed that the crack formation process is generally leveled. The mainfeatures and patterns of cracking in stretched reinforced concrete elements and structures arerevealed. The main characteristics of the prototypes are given, according to the test results of whichit was established that in practical calculations of the reinforced concrete elements crack resistance,it is usually possible to restrict oneself to two levels of normal cracking. For the indicated crackinglevels, the corresponding load level, step and crack opening width are established. The expediencyof using in practical calculations the nonlinear function of the reinforcement with concrete averageadhesion stresses is also substantiated. Based on the studies results carried out, the existing methodsfor calculating the normal cracks formation and opening in reinforced concrete elements andstructures were evaluated from the standpoint of local disadvantage of the reinforcement to concreteadhesion.General and simplified methods for calculating normal cracks level formation and opening inreinforced concrete elements have been developed. In them, the direct integration of the expressionfor the concrete and reinforcement mutual displacements is proposed to be replaced not by thenumerical integration of the indicated expression, but by the successive accumulation of the indicateddisplacements. Corresponding statistical comparisons of the calculations results by these methodswith experimental data are carried out. The effectiveness of the developed methods for calculatingnormal cracks level formation and opening by comparing them with existing methods is estimated.