Early-age cracking of concrete bridge decks, typically caused by drying, autogenous, and thermal shrinkage effects, can have detrimental effects on long-term behavior and durability. Darwin and Browning (2008) recently reported that “by controlling early-age cracking, the amount of cracking at later ages should remain low.” They also reported that early-age cracking could significantly increase the rate and amount of chloride penetration (from deicing salts), which may accelerate the corrosion rate of embedded reinforcing steel.
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Author Archives : William H. Wolfe
William H. Wolfe is a Senior Engineer with Norlite, LLC, in Cohoes, New York. He is active in several ACI and ASTM committees involving the use of lightweight concrete. (whwolfe@norliteagg.com)
Mitigating Flooring Issues
Strain is placed on several building materials as construction schedules compress to accommodate building occupancy “as soon as possible.” Add pressures to utilize environmentally responsible products and suddenly traditional construction practices have the potential for problems. …