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MINIMUM STEEL REINFORCEMENT FOR CONTROL OF CRACKING DUE TO

SHRINKAGE AND TEMPERATURE CHANGES IN REINFORCED CONCRETE
TENSION MEMBERS

Thesis · October 1988

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Tareq Salih Al-Attar

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MINIMUM STEEL REINFORCEMENT

FOR CONTROL OF CRACKING DUE

TO SHRINKAGE AND TEMPERATURE

CHANGES IN REINFORCED

CONCRETE TENSION MEMBERS

A THESIS
SUBMITTED TO THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

OF THE UNIVERSITY OF BAGHDAD

IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE

REQUIRF.MENTS FOR THE

DEGREE OF MASTER OF

SCIENCE IN CIVIL

ENGINEERING

BY

TARIK SALIH HADI AL-ATTAR

(B. Se. )

OCTOBER 1988
 TO WIfO.J!lf r .I--rOVE.

~y WT.FE

FOR CA.RE AN:D E~COC.TRAGE.ME~T

 1" e.crt.ify that the preperatJion of th.i s 1 heEls was

made under my 8up(~rvision in the Hni vcrsi t.y of B~.J.ghdadr

College of Engineeriug In partial fulfillment of the

reQuirement!.; for the Degree of Master of ~eienee in Civil

Eng i nee-r.i ng.

· r
S ] g n a.
'-
..!},~
t~ u r c . ~,
'M
\¥
Q~£-
Name: Dr. Ri yadh S. /\ 1 -Ra\.>./ i

Supel'V i Hor-
 We certify that we have read this thesis and. as

Examining Committee, examined the student 1n its contents and

in what is conneeb~d wilh it, and that in our opionion it

meels the st,andards of a thesis for the Degree of Master of

Scienoe in Civil Engineering.

Signature: ~L' Signature: {-.r~JL~,~

Name: Dr. Hani M. Fahmi Name: Dr. Riyadh S. AI-Rawi

(Member) (Supervisor)

Name: Dr. Mufeed A. AI-Samarai

(Chairman)

Approval of the College of Engineering

Signature:

Name: Dr. Lnith T. Namiq

(The Dean)

Date: / /1999
 i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author wishes to express his grateful word of

thanks and deep gratitude to his supervisor Dr.R.S. Al-Rawi.

for his advice and continuous encouragement.

The valuable aid presented by the engineers, A. H.

Jawad, Hammorabi Contracting Co., H.H. Hameed, Building

Research Centre, and a.F. Khcder, Al-Mustansiria University,

College of Engineering, in supplying some of the materils

and tool::> necessary for this research, is greatly

acknowledged.

The author is indebted to the brothers A.S. Hadi and

R.S. Hadi for their current help in carrying out the

experimental part of this investigation.

Special thanks are presented to B.T. AI-Ali, and

collegucs S.H. Abood and T.H. Zaia for ready aid and advice.

Also thanks arc due to the staff of the Building

Materials and Construction Laboratories.

Finally, words of appreciation and respect arc due to

all those who presented help and advice.

I
 j i

SUMMARY
The main aim of this investigation is to clarify the
difference between the case of end restrained members and
the case of those members restrained at their base with
respect to the requirements of steel reinforcement used to
control cracking due to restrained volume change.
The experimental part of this work was designed to
study the case of base restrained members because little
work had been done for this purpose previously. Thus base
restrained wall models were cast outdoors in the summer
season to simulate the practical site conditions.
The horizontal steel ratio was the main parameter
studied in this work. Five ratios ranged between (0.0 - 1.2)
percent were investigated. Two length to height (L/H)
ratios, 4.0 and 7.5, were employed to study the effect of
length and geometry on cracking behavior of the walls. Other
secondary parameters were, mix proportions and reinforcing
bar diameter.
The measurements of walls movements, crack spacings,
and crack widths were carried out during the exposure
period.
According to the obtained data, the theory of change
in restraint after cracking was verified. Minimum steel
ratio ranging between 0.2 0.4 percent was found to be
effective for control of cracking due to restrained volume
change. The proposition that the base acts as an additional
reinforcement was proved to be true, thus it was concluded
that minimum steel ratio for base restrained members is
smaller than that for end restrained members. Minimum
observed crack spacings were also smaller for the present
work than those were observed for end restrained members.
The equation that was suggested by the British Code of
Practice, BS 5337-1976, for prediction of minimum crack
spacing, was not valid for neglecting the effect of form of
restraint and geometry of the member on cracking behavior.
 iii

It was recommended to make use of the effect of the

base and low (L/H) ratios to reduce the steel reinforcement
stresses and demands for base restrained members and
developing the strategic reinforcement concept.
 iv

NOTATION

The followings are the main notations used. Others

are defined as they are encountered:

A Effcctive tension area of concrete surrounding

the reinforcing bar.

Ac Cross-sectional area of concrete.

A" Cross-sectional area of stecl reinforcement.

.a A notational nno-bond" length for the
reinforcement near a crack.
C Coefficient of thermal expansion.
c The friction factor betwecn the slab and the
subgradc.

Cf t C. The final and initial creep (relaxation) of

concrete.

D Diameter of steel reinforcement bar.

de Thickness of concrete cover.

E .. Modulus of clasticity of concrete.

E .. Modulus of elasticity of sleel.
e Strain.

eea v Average concrete strain.

Co: t Strain of concrete in ~ension.

Cell Ultimate tensile strain of concrete.

C s Steel :3t1'ain.

C:;ll Shrinkage strain.

e t .II Thermal strain.

c- .Y Strain at y-lcvcl.

flJ Bond strength between concrete and steel.

f,,; • Compressive strength of concrete.
 v

fCI Stress of concrete in tension.

fs Stress of steel.

Stress of steel in compression.

Stress of steel in tension.

Tensile strength of concrete.

Yield strength of steel in tension.

Height..

Constants

L Length.

m Number of cracks in a member.

N Normal force in the member.

Normal tensile force at which cracking tekes·

place.

n Modular ratio (Es/Ec).

P Steel ratio (As/Ac).

P.ill Minimum (critical) steel ratio.

R Degree of restraint.

R.Ii Ratio of the distance from the neutral axis to

the tension face of flexural member t,o the dis-

tance from the neutral axis to the tension ste-

el. Where flexural is not involved, R s =1.0.

S Crack spacing.

Say. Average crack spacing.

Maximum and Minimum crack spacing.

Crack spacing at y-Ievel.

Temperature.

Change in temperature.

I
 vi

Ambient and peak temperature.

t time.

tse Tensile strain capacity of concrete.

W Crack width.

Wa v • Average crack width.

Maximum crack width.

Crack width at y-Ievel.

z Slip distance on each side of a crack.

Total perimeter of steel reinforcement.

Coefficient of shrinkage of concrete.

 vii

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .. ... . . . . . . .. .. .. ...... . ........ . .. .... i

SUMMARY .. It • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ii

NOTATION ... ... . . . . ..... . . . . ...... . . . .... . .. . ..... .. . .. iv

CONTENTS .. . . ...... . . . ...... . . . ....... . ...... . . . .. .. vii

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION . . . . . .... .. . . . ... . . . . . . .... . 1-4

CHAPTER TWO REVIEW OF LITERATURE · . . . .. . . . . ... . . . . . . . 5-49

2.1 Shrinkage of Concrete .. . . . . . . . .... . . . .. ... .. . . . . 5

2.1.1 Mechanism of Shrinkage • • • It • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 7

2.2 Thermal Movement of Concrete · .................. . 10

2.2.1 Mechanism of Thermal Movements . . .... . . . .. . 10

2.3 Restraint • • • • • • • • • • • It • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 11

2.3.1 Forms of Restraint . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

2.3.1.1 External Restraint 12

2.3.1.1.1 Continuous Edge Restraint 12

2.3.1.1.2 End Restraint ....... . . ...... .. 15

2.3.1.1.3 Combined End and Edge

Restraint .•.....•..•• ..... .. .. 16

2.3.1.2 Internal Restraint 16

2.4 Cracking Due to Restrained Volume Changes ....... 18

2.4.1 Cracking Mechanism .. . . .. ....... . . . . . .. .. . . 20

2.4.2 Crack Spacing .............................. 22

2.4.3 Crack Width ... . . ... ... . . . . ........ . ....... 32
2.5 Reinforcement to Control Cracking Due to
Shrinkage and Temperature Changes .•...•• ........ 38
2.5.1 Minimum (Critical) Steel Ratio ............. 38

I
 viii

2.5.2 Reinforcing Steel Requirements for Base

Restrained Members ..•.....••.••......•• ... 40
2.5.2.1 Degree of Restraint Before
Cracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 40
2.5.2.2 Theory of Change in Restraint Due
to Cracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

2.5.2.3 Actual Steel Requirements for Base

Restrained Members •..•..•••••••... 44

2.5.3 Strategic Reinforcement 45

2.5.4 Limitations for Minimum Steel Ratio to
Control Shrinkage and Temperature
Cracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

CHAPTER THREE EXPERIMENTAL WORK · ................... . 50-70

3.1 Introduction ..... . . . . .. . . ... . . .. . ....... ... ...... 50
3.2 Program of the Work 51

3.3 Experimental Work 52

3.3.1 Concrete Base .... . ...... . .. . .... ... . . 52

3.3.2 Mortar Wall Models 52

3.3.3 Beam Models .. ... . . .... ... . . .. . . ..... . . . ... 54

3.3.4 Reinforcement Ratios ...................... 56

3.3.4.1 Wall Models . .. . .. .... . . . . . . . ..... . 56

3.3.4.1.1 Vertical Steel Ratios ....... 56

3.3.4.1.2 Horizontal Steel Ratios 56

3.3.4.2 Beam Models 56

3.3.5 Materials and Mixes ·.. . . .. ........ . ...... 57

3.3.5.1 Reinforcement · ... . . . . . .. ..... . . . . . . 57

3.3.5.2 Cement .. .. . . . . . . . ... . .. . . . . .... ... 57

3.3.5.3 Fine Aggregate ...................... 57

3.3.5.4 Mortar Mixes ...................... 57

 ix

3.3.6 Mixing and Casting •••..•••••....•••••••••• 60

3.3.7 Curing and Exposure .•••.•..•••..••••..•..• 60

3.3.8 Strain and Crack Width Measurements .•••... 61

3.3.9 Free Volume Change of the Walls •.••••..... 62

3.3.10 Wall Notation • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • t • • • • • • 63

CHAPTER FOUR: ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS .... 71-116

4.1 Free Movement of the Walls ...... . .... . ... .... . .. 71

4.2 Restrained Movement of the Wall s ............... . 71

4.3 Cracking of the Walls .........•••.•.......••••.. 72

4.3.1 Development of Cracking with Age ..•......• 74

4.3.2 Crack Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

4.3.3 Crack Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . 79

4.4 Discussion of Results •.•••..••....•..•.......... 83

4.4.1 Effect of Reinforcement on Cracking

SeQuence .••.••••...•.••••••••••••.•••••••• 83

4.4.1.1 Crack Spacing ••..•.•.....••••....••••• 83

4.4.1.2 Crack Width ••••...•.•..•••.•..••••.•.• 85

4.4.1.3 Minimum Steel Ratio ••....•..•.•.••..•• 87

4.4.2 Effect of the Base on Cracking Sequence •.. 89

4.4.3 Effect of Length to Height (L/H) Ratio ...• 90

4.4.4 Effect of the Cracking Age on the Steel

Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .....•.. 117-119

REFERENCES

APPENDIX A PROPERTIES OF USED MATERIALS

APPENDIX B TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY

RECORDS

APPENDIX - C SITE OBSERVATIONP

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