Control of cracking - Concrete Structures: Stresses and Deformations - page 380

Control of cracking

Viaduc de Sylans-France. (Courtesy Bouygues Contractor, France).

11.1 Introduction
Cracking occurs in a concrete member when the stress in concrete reaches the
tensile strength, f ct . The value of f ct depends upon several parameters. Choice
of the appropriate value of f ct is the fi rst di culty in the analysis of crack

prediction, to be discussed in this chapter.
When a statically determinate member is subjected to external applied load
of su ness drops and

an increase in displacement occurs. As long as the external applied load is
sustained, there will be no change in the internal forces. On the other hand,
when cracking of a statistically indeterminate structure is due to temperature

cient magnitude to produce cracking, the member sti ff