Deep concrete pours or thin sections which are subject to external restraint are likely to crack as they cool from the hydration peak temperature.
Halcrow have specialist understanding of the factors affecting early-age thermal cracking in concrete and experience in the use of powerful software for modelling the temperatures, stresses and cracking behaviour of concrete during cooling.
The modelling accounts for:
- effects of restraint stiffness
- different mix constituents
- construction sequence
- ambient temperatures, solar gain and heat losses due to conduction, radiation and convection
- creep of concrete and its tensile strength gain with maturity
- preventative measures to reduce the risk of cracking (mix cooling, insulation, cooling pipework)