Lecture 3

Plastic shrinkage and cracking

Pietro Lura

Concrete & Construction Chemistry

Shrinkage and Cracking of Concrete: Mechanisms and Impact on Durability, ETHZ, 05.10.11

Contents

Introduction about plastic shrinkage cracking

Model for plastic shrinkage cracking in gels

Lab setup for settlement, pore pressure and cracking

Studies on non-reactive systems (fly ash pastes)

Studies on mortars and fly ash pastes with SRA

2

Plastic settlement cracks

Weiss REACCT 2009

Differential settlement causes stress concentrations and cracks

May be a problem in very fluid mixtures

Plastic shrinkage cracks

Fast evaporation due to:

Low relative humidity

High wind speed

High temperature,
surface exposed to sun

Galilee, Israel, 2001

Hypothesis about cracking

Tensile stress

Tensile strength
Crack

3
Time

Phase 1 = Concrete still workable

Lura and Leemann 2008

Phase 2 = Dormant period

Phase 3 = Acceleration period

Risk of cracking depends on the amount of water

that evaporates during the dormant period
5

Climatic conditions
35

80

30

70

25

60

20

50

15

40

10

30

- High evaporation rate

rel. Luftfeuchtigkeit (%)

Temperatur (C)

Worst case:

5
20
16.07.2007 16.07.2007 16.07.2007 16.07.2007 16.07.2007 16.07.2007 17.07.2007
00:00
04:00
08:00
12:00
16:00
20:00
00:00

- Slow concrete hardening

Cool spring day or hot
summer day?
Data about air
temperature, relative
humidity and wind velocity
are available from
weather stations
6

Plastic shrinkage cracks in concrete (1)

Cracks go through concrete slab,

water seeps through cracks

Photos by A. Leemann, 2008

7

Plastic shrinkage cracks in concrete (2)

Schmidt et al. BUST 2007

Sunny and windy day, slab 25 cm thick. Cracking within the first
4 hours after placing the concrete, crack distance ~1 m

Active solution: fogging/wetting of concrete surface

Atcin et al.
ACI SP 220 2004

Labor intensive, expensive, not always practical

Curing compound (slows down evaporation), similar problems 9

Passive solutions

It is preferable to make the concrete mixture less

prone to plastic shrinkage cracking:
Fibers (i.e. fibrillated polypropylene), at low
concentration help also with plastic settlement
Viscosity modifiers
Shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRA)
Internal curing (i.e., LWA or SAP)
Cement type (i.e., using relatively coarse cements)
Mix composition (i.e., low cement paste content)

Need for standard tests to assess cracking risk

10

Plastic shrinkage mechanisms - Capillary tension

r

From http://www.pharmainfo.net/reviews/pharmaceuticalmicropellets-overview
11

Young-Laplace equation
1
1
p = +
R1 R2

pcap =
Thomas Young (1773 1829)

2 cos
r

(1805-06)

Pierre-Simon, marquis de
Laplace (1749 - 1827) 12

Suspension of cement particles

Cryo-nanotomography, fresh cement paste with superplasticizer

Zingg et al. CCR 2008

13

Phases of drying

Evaporation
of bleed water

Constant rate
period

Falling rate
period

Brinker and Scherer Sol-gel science 1990

14

Constant rate period in gels

r

2 cos
P=
r

JS =
Pressure
gradient
depends on D

P S =

mW

Flux to surface
=
Evaporation
Brinker and Scherer Sol-gel science 1990

15

Critical point and cracking in gels

~

x
~

x =

1 2
P P P
1

Scherer J Non-Crystalline Solids 1992

Hansen 1995

In gels, pressure gradient at surface causes cracking

Pressure gradient can be limited by reducing the maximum
pressure (i.e., with surfactants) or slowing evaporation

16

Evaporation rate

rate of water loss (g cm-1 min-1)

0.18
0.16

Fly ash

0.14

Deionized water

0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
100

90

80

70

60

50

40

Fraction of intial water (%)

Brinker and Scherer Sol-gel science 1990

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2010

17

Critical Point and settlement Pressure release

Settlement (mm)

0
Settlement Laser

-1

Settlement Weight loss

-2

-3

-4
0

Time (h)

Fly ash paste, w/s 0.28

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2010

Brinker and Scherer Sol-gel science 1990

18

Plastic cracking (ASTM C-1579)

19

Quantitative image analysis

Qi, Weiss and Olek J ASTM 2005

20

10

Setup plastic settlement

Change in
CCDs
Measureme
nt

Laser
Source

CMOS/CCD

Initial
Specimen
Surface

Final
Specimen
Surface

Lasers mounted on movable holders for settlement measurements

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2009

21

Control of wind speed and climate above molds (1)

blade for shaving the lower
boundary layer of the nozzle
cover 1

vertival section
vertical

nozzle

new development

cover 2

320

230

300

H=65

blower

30

100
320

200

200

200

150

mould 3

deflector

150
300

700

mould 2

mould 1

A
300

410 mould)

1620

horizontal section

section A-A

grids

cover (with hand grip)

120

B=625

800

elastic material for

decoupling of vibrations

50
130

mould (615x410x130)

130

balance

motor

615 (mould)
diffusor

relaxation
chamber

nozzle

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2009

22

11

Control of wind speed and climate above molds (2)

40

Temperature (C)

60

35
50

30
40

25

Temperature
Humidity

30

20

Relative humidity (%)

70

20

Time (h)
15.75
0

20.5

31

6.7-6.8

6.8-6.9

6.9-7.0

7.0-7.1

7.1-7.2

7.2-7.3

7.3-7.4

7.4-7.5

41.5

62.5

73

83.5 104.5 115

125.5

-15.75
136

Distance (cm)

23

Measurements of capillary pressure

Tensiometer is measuring the
pressure difference (depression)

pressure in pore liquid

tube
(1.4301)

1.8 mm

rubber hose

2.5 mm

compensation of supply voltage (Beat)

atmospheric pressure

pressure sensor

amplifier /
datalogger

water (degassed)

concrete

sensor
mould

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2009

24

12

Influence on w/s on settlement

0.0

Increased water
content leads to:

Increased settlement

Later occurrence of
critical point

Settlement (mm)

-0.5

FA025
-1.0

FA027

-1.5

Increased water loss

and settlement to
compact the particles

FA032

-2.0
0

Time (h)

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2010

25

Capillary pressure measurements (1)

S3

S4

38

38

S3, S4, S5
S5

50

S6
150

150

35

35

S6

S7
34

34

S7
S8

43

43

S8

25

42

62
150

100

21
150

Multiple pressure sensors at different depths and locations

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2009

26

13

Capillary pressure measurements (2)

0.2

50

Hydrostatic pressure
0.0

-0.2

-50

-0.4

-100

S4

S3

Settlement (mm)

-0.6

-150

-0.8

-200

S6

Settlement
-1.0

-250

S8
-1.2

-300

Laser

Capillary pressure (mbar)

Capillary pressure

S7

-1.4

-350

30C / 50% RH
w/s = 0.27

-1.6

-400

Calculated by weight loss

S5

-1.8

-450
0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5
Time (h)

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2009

27

Critical point and cracking in concrete

~

x
~

x =

1 2
P P P
1

Scherer J Non-Crystalline Solids 1992

Hansen 1995

Pressure gradient at surface seems of minor importance to

cracking in cement paste and concrete
Restraint to global shrinkage seems to cause cracking

28

14

Effect of SRA on evaporation

2

Specific mass change (kg/m )

-1

-2
Mortar 5% SRA
Deionized water
-3
Mortar 1% SRA
Plain Mortar

1% SRA solution
-4

5% SRA solution
-5
0

Lura et al. ACI Mat J 2007

Time (hours)

SRA reduce the surface tension of the pore solution

29

Effect of SRA on plastic shrinkage cracking

Cumulative Distribution
of Measured Cracks (%)

100
80
60
40

1% SRA

20

5% SRA

2%
SRA

Plain

0
0

0.4

0.8

1.2

1.6

2.0

Crack Width (mm)

Lura et al. ACI Mat J 2007

30

15

Effect of SRA on settlement and capillary pressure

0.0

-0.2

FA027+2%SRA

Settlement (mm)

-100

-0.6
-0.8
Settlement

-200

FA027

FA027+2%SRA

-1.0
-1.2

-300

FA027

Capillary pressure (mbar)

Capillary pressure
-0.4

-1.4
-1.6

-400
0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

Time (h)

31

Fontana, Di Bella and Lura 2009

Critical point with and without SRA

r

P=

2 cos
r

r is the same (particle

geometry)

is half with SRA

Contact angle similar
Max capillary pressure is
half for given particle
geometry

32

16

Effect of cement fineness (1)

Type of cement

CEM I 32.5 N CEM I 42.5 N

2

Blaine fineness [cm /g]

CEM I 52.5 R

2530

3150

4510

1858

1858

1858

Cement content [kg/m ]

352

352

352

w/c

0.5

0.5

0.5

Superplasticizer [mass-% of cement]

0.2

0.2

0.2

Air content [volume-%]

4.0

3.9

3.4

Flow [cm]

40

40

40

2333

2336

2358

Aggregate 0/16 mm [kg/m ]

3

Density [kg/m ]

33

Effect of cement fineness (2)

7
6
5

Bleeding (%)

CEM I 32.5 N

4
3
CEM I 42.5 N

2
1

CEM I 52.5 R

0.0

Time (h)

Mass change (kg/m )

0
5

CEM I 42.5 N

-1.0
CEM I 52.5 R

-2.0
CEM I 32.5 N

-3.0
0

Time (h)

34

17

Effect of cement fineness (3)

0.0

Settlement (mm)

-0.3
CEM I 32.5 N

-0.9

CEM I 52.5 R

-1.2

CEM I 42.5 N

-1.5
1

Time (h)

CEM I 32.5 N

-100
CEM I 42.5 N

-200

-300

CEM I 52.5 R

-400
0

Time (h)

35

Effect of cement fineness (4)

1.0

Cumulative distribution

Capillary pressure (mbar)

-0.6

0.8
0.6

CEM I 42.5 N

0.4
0.2
CEM I 52.5 R
0.0
0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

Crack width (mm)

36

18

Pressure and particle size

r

P=

2 cos
r

The pressure in the system is

governed by the particle size
In binders with fine particles
(e.g. fine cements, silica fume
addition), pressure increases
37

Effect of w/c and binder volume

Cement paste volume (l/m3)

350
330
M5
M15
310
M2
290

M8
M1

M9

M3

270
M14

M4
250
0.40

0.45

0.50

0.55

0.60

w/c

Red crosses indicate mixtures that cracked

Intermediate w/c with higher amount of pastes cracked

38

19

Need further study

Mechanism of action of fibers: perhaps they create
some local porosity and dissipate stresses

Mechanism of action of viscosity modifiers: do they
influence bleeding rate and transport of water to
surface?

Mechanism of action of LWA and SAP: will be
mentioned in later lecture

Effect of cement type

39

Summary

During constant rate period, evaporation and settlement

are not influenced by w/s, (particle size) or SRA addition
Critical point is anticipated by low w/s, (large particles)
and low surface tension of pore fluid
Earlier critical point means lower evaporation, settlement
and capillary stresses. In some cases also fewer and
smaller plastic shrinkage cracks
Actual mechanism of cracking needs further study
40

20

Alberto Burri, Grande Cretto Nero, 1977

41

Acknowledgements

J. Weiss

P. Fontana

C. Di Bella

A. Leemann

42

21