Introduction

Concrete is a widely used and cost-effective construction material known for its high strength and good durability. However, one major challenge for concrete is its susceptibility to cracking during early age, especially for concrete with a low water-to-cement ratio. Cracking will occur when the stress caused by the restrained shrinkage is greater than the tensile strength of concrete. This can lead to the introduction of aggressive deleterious substances such as water, chlorides, and sulfates, which significantly decrease the safety and durability of concrete structures. In this chapter, the significance and causes of early-age cracking of modern concrete were presented. Measures for controlling the early-age cracking of concrete including mitigating the drop in internal relative humidity, controlling the change of temperature, decreasing the early-age shrinkage, and increasing the tensile strength were introduced. Finally, the objectives and scope of this monograph were presented.