Thermal Cracking in Reinforced Concrete

Thermal cracks are a nuisance. They can ruin a well-designed concrete project if they are not designed for properly. This video is going to explain two types of thermal cracking. The first is caused by changes in temperature for large concrete members. These structures move from the increases in temperature and this movement can cause stresses that cause the concrete to crack. These cracks can be avoided with proper detailing. The second kind of thermal cracking occurs in mass concrete elements. These are elements where the minimum dimension is above about 5’. When these mass elements are cast then it takes a long time for the heat to dissipate in the center of the element. If the forms are removed too quickly then this can cause a temperature gradient that will cause surface cracking. The video discusses the variables that can impact this and also talks about the concrete works program developed by Texas Department of Transportation. This is a free software package that predicts the performance of these mass concrete elements for a large number of variables. You can download concrete works for FREE here: https://www.txdot.gov/business/resources/engineering-software.html Thanks to Hailey Goodale! She edited this video and is my Director of Awesome. My website is: http://www.tylerley.com If you would like to donate to my channel please visit http://www.tylerley.com/giving

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