Reliability of standard methods for evaluating the early-age cracking risk of thermal-shrinkage origin in concrete walls

The paper is focused on the reliability of existing guidelines for both the design and evaluation of early-age cracking risk in concrete structures. The study considers the recommendations for reinforced concrete tank walls and bridge abutments, which are especially prone to early-age cracking. A thorough review and discussion of the American, European and Japanese guidelines are supplemented by the analytical procedure for simple evaluation of thermal loads and more precisely considering shrinkage strains. The results obtained using the guidelines were compared with actual observations of crack width in tank walls and bridge abutments. An example of using standards in wall design is also presented. Finally, the usefulness of the presented methods is highlighted with suggestions for a possible path for considering early-age thermal and shrinkage effects in reinforced concrete wall structures.