Evaluation on Early-age Cracking Resistance of Concrete

High performance concrete with a low water-to-cement ratio is widely used in practice. The high self-desiccation and high temperature rise caused by the low water-to-cement ratio increase the cracking potential of concrete. The early-age cracking resistance of concrete is influenced by the internal relative humidity, water-to-cement ratio, and curing temperature. In this chapter, early-age cracking control of concrete with different water-to-cement ratios and curing temperature was investigated. The results showed that the internal relative humidity in concrete increased with the increase of the water-to-cement ratio. Increasing the water-to-cement ratio caused the decrease of development rate of the residual stress and the increase of cracking resistance of concrete. The cracking resistance of concrete under 20 ℃ was better than that under 45 ℃ and adiabatic condition.