Reinforced concrete tank walls and bridge abutments: Early-age behaviour, analytic approaches and numerical models

Abstract

The problem of early age cracking is still underestimated in concrete structures in which limited possibility of deformation under thermal-moisture effects may generate dangerous stresses. Thermal-shrinkage cracking of externally-restrained concrete members is frequently observed in wall members supported on previously cast foundation, such as tank walls, bridge abutments or retaining walls.The article discusses early-age behaviour of reinforced concrete tank walls and bridge abutments. The character of thermal and shrinkage stresses along with typical cracking patterns are presented. Several examples of real structures in which early age cracking was observed are also shown in the article. Finally, available analytic and numerical models to predict thermal-shrinkage stress development and cracking risk in early age concrete in such structures are discussed. An example of numerical analysis is presented to show the advantage of the numerical approach of analysis.