Part 2: Avoid Cracks in Concrete

Slabs-On-Grade
Video Summary Notes
AVOID CRACKS IN CONCRETE SLABS-ON-GRADE

By Harvey Haynes
Consulting Concrete Engineer

Part 2 of 2 :: Recommendations to Avoid Cracks

SOIL MOVEMENT

Heave
The critical factor in preventing expansive clay soils from causing problems with heave is to be
certain that the clay soil is damp (above its optimum moisture content) before concrete is cast.
Watering the clay may take days to get it damp. It is advisable to have a soils engineer provide a
letter stating that the clay is at proper moisture content.

Slabs, such as garage floors or walkways next to a house, should be free to float on top of the soil
as opposed to being tied into the house footing. Place isolation joint material between the slab
and building.

Use reinforcing bars to distribute and limit the width of cracks and prevent vertical offsets. As a
guide, use #3 bars at 18-inch spacing each way in 4-inch thick slabs, and #4 bars at 20-inch
spacing in 5-inch slabs. Do not use welded wire mesh of size 6x6-W1.4xW1.4 (also known by its
old designation of 6x6-10x10). Mesh of size 6x6-W2.9xW2.9 is marginal, but acceptable.

Settlement
Compacted base rock four inches deep will provide a uniform, firm support for the slab. If base
rock is not used, be sure that the subgrade (native soil) can provide good support even when the
subgrade is wet. Use a 5-inch thick slab, which is 50% stronger than a 4-inch thick slab in
flexural strength.
THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE

Seasonal Temperature Change

To minimize cracks, different types of joints are installed in slabs.

Contraction or Control Joints: These joints are installed by placing plastic inserts or grooves into
the fresh concrete to a depth of one-fourth the thickness of the slab. Saw cuts are also used, but
should be made the same day that the concrete is cast. Spacing and layout are discussed later in
the drying shrinkage section.
Expansion or Isolation Joints: These joints are of a compressible material, such as fiberboard,
installed the full depth of the slab. For expansion joints, spacing is between 50 to 100 feet.

Construction Joints: These joints mark where new concrete abuts existing concrete. The joint can
function as a contraction joint when detailed using bond breaker on one concrete face, or when
using keyways or smooth dowels greased on one side. Constructions joints will not function as
contraction joints when design details call for roughening one concrete face or having
reinforcing bars tie together the new and existing concrete.

Daily Temperature Change and Heat of Hydration

To minimize cracks that appear the morning after concrete is cast, install saw cut contraction
joints on the same day that concrete is cast. Grooves and inserts also are good joints because they
are installed while the concrete is fresh.
SHRINKAGE BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE

Crazing Cracks
These cracks are prevented by proper finishing methods; use light tamping, do not overwork the
surface, and do not add dry cement to the surface to absorb bleed water. If necessary, bleed water
can be vacuumed or dragged off.

Plastic Shrinkage Cracks

Windy or hot weather is a sign of danger. Keep the temperature of the concrete as low as
possible by having transit mix trucks stand-by in the shade, or cool the mixing drum by spraying
water on the outside surface. Have a sufficient crew size available for rapid placement and
finishing. In extreme hot weather, avoid exposing young concrete to the hot part of the day by
starting to cast concrete in the late afternoon or early evening.

Delay evaporation of bleed water by spraying fog mist across the work area; or better, use an
evaporation control coating sprayed on the fresh concrete after bullfloating. Store this material
on the job so it is available on windy or hot days.

Drying Shrinkage Cracks

Mix Design: The more water used in making concrete, the greater the amount of shrinkage.
Hence, do not add water beyond the amount necessary for proper slump.

Use as large an aggregate size as possible. Concrete with 1-1/2 inch maximum size aggregate
will shrink less than concrete with 3/4-inch maximum size, and both of these will shrink
considerably less than pea gravel concrete, which uses a 3/8-inch maximum size aggregate.

Vapor Retarders: Vapor retarders are used primarily to stop ground moisture from moving up
through the concrete slab. Acceptable vapor retarders are:

1. Clean 3/4-inch drain rock, 4 to 6 inches deep

2. Plastic sheeting covered by 1 to 2 inches of clean sand
3. Plastic sheeting of minimum 10-mil thickness
The preferred system is (1) and (2) together. System (3) can result in excessive cracks in the slab
if a high slump concrete is used. Therefore, use system (3) only with a low slump concrete (3-
inch maximum).

Contraction Joints: Use saw cuts, inserts, or grooves to install contraction joints. Make certain
that saw cuts are installed on the same day the concrete is cast.

Spacing of contraction joints is given in the following table:

Any slab cast in an open environment is an exterior slab, which means that tilt-up slabs are
exterior slabs. Patios and walkways are usually 3.5 inches thick and they should have a
contraction joint spacing of around 6 feet. If pea gravel concrete is used, then reduce the
recommended spacing in the table by 3 feet. The simplest and surest method to minimize
most cracks in slabs is to follow this guidance on contraction joint spacing.

The layout of joints is best when square sections are made. When rectangular sections are made,
the length should not exceed 1.5 times the width. Re-entry corners must have contraction joints.

Reinforcement: Welded wire mesh of size 6x6-W1.4xW1.4 (or old designation of 6x6-10x10) is
the most common type of reinforcement in slabs-on-grade, and it is essentially useless. If welded
wire mesh is used, then use 6x6-W2.9xW2.9; however, this is still a small amount of steel and
will do little in crack control.

Slabs-on-grade do not have a code requirement for being reinforced; hence, they can be of
unreinforced concrete with cracks controlled by a close spacing of contraction joints.

Cracks can occur even if reinforcing steel is used. The reinforcement is to control crack width
and spacing. A recommended amount of steel (which only provides partial effectiveness in
controlling crack widths) is the amount given for shrinkage and temperature reinforcement for
structural concrete in the American Concrete Institute Building Code Requirements for
Structural Concrete, ACI 318-95, Section 7.12. This amount is equivalent to #3 bars at 18-inch
spacing in 4-inch thick slabs and #4 bars at 20-inch spacing in 5-inch thick slabs. Contraction
joints are still required, and the spacing can be larger than that for unreinforced slabs. To allow
these joints to properly function, it is advisable to cut every other bar crossing the joints.
To obtain maximum effect in controlling cracks by steel reinforcement, an amount of steel three
times that given above is required. These slabs are considered as continuously reinforced
concrete, and contraction joints can be omitted.

Reinforcing bars are good because they can be chaired. Place the bars in the top half of the slab.
For slabs of 5 inches or thicker, locate the bars 2 inches below the top of the slab. Don't allow the
chairs, or dobbies, to settle in the sand cushion layer. The reinforcing bars need to be near the top
of the slab to minimize the width of the cracks. Cracks are widest at the top because the greatest
shrinkage occurs at the top.

Steel fiber reinforcement works well to control cracks. The fibers are added to the transit mix
truck in quantities of at least 30 to 50 pounds per cubic yard of concrete. Normal placing and
finishing procedures are used. Contraction joints are required, but at a larger spacing. Steel fibers
are highly recommended.

Polypropylene and nylon fibers do not provide any benefit in controlling drying shrinkage
cracks, but they do have value in controlling plastic shrinkage cracks. These fibers are added to
the transit mix truck in quantities of about 1 to 1.5 pounds per cubic yard of concrete.

Curing: The objective of curing is to allow concrete to gain strength. To do this, the temperature
must be above 40° F and water must be present within the concrete for the cement to hydrate.
The best curing method is to flood concrete, but the most common method is to spray curing
compound on concrete. This method attempts to contain the mix water inside concrete, and it is
moderately effective. In windy or hot weather, the coverage rate specified by the manufacturer
should be increased by 1.5 times. A rough surface also requires more compound than a smooth
surface.

As long as water is held inside the concrete, drying shrinkage does not occur. Eventually the
concrete decreases in moisture content, and then shrinkage begins. Curing allows concrete to
gain strength; stronger concrete will crack less than poorly cured or weaker concrete.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

Soil Movement

 Expansive clay soil must be damp before concrete is placed.

 The subgrade must provide fairly uniform and firm support for the slab, even when the
subgrade is wet. If not, use base rock.

Thermal Behavior of Concrete

 To accommodate seasonal temperature changes, install expansion joints to prevent slab

from buckling, and install contraction joints (also called control joints) to minimize
random cracks due to contraction.
 To avoid cracks that appear the day after casting slabs, install contraction joints on the
same day the concrete is cast.
Shrinkage Behavior of Concrete

 To avoid crazing cracks, prevent excessive paste on the top surface of fresh concrete by
light tamping, do not overwork the surface, and do not apply dry cement to the top
surface.
 To avoid plastic shrinkage cracks, use an evaporation-control coating on fresh concrete
during windy or hot weather. Also, use polypropylene or nylon fiber reinforcement to
minimize plastic shrinkage cracks.
 Do not add mix water to concrete beyond the amount for proper slump.
 Use concrete with 3/4-inch maximum size aggregate or larger. For pea gravel concrete,
use extra-close spacing of contraction joints.
 During hot weather, keep the temperature of the fresh concrete cool while in the transit
mix truck by having truck stand-by in the shade and spraying the outside of the drum
with water.
 Space contraction joints properly (see table). This is the simplest and surest method to
minimize most cracks.
 Layout contraction joints for square sections. For rectangular sections, make the length
less than 1.5 times the width.
 Put contraction joints at re-entry corners.
 Unreinforced concrete slabs are acceptable, but be certain that contraction joints are
properly spaced.
 Don't use welded wire mesh of size 6x6-W1.4xW1.4. In its place, use mesh of size 6x6-
W2.9xW2.9 or larger.
 For reinforcement to provide a fair benefit in crack control, use #3 bars at 18-inch
spacing in slabs 4-inches thick, and #4 bars at 20-inch spacing in slabs 5-inches thick.
 Chair reinforcing bars and mesh so they are located in the top half of slabs.
 Use steel reinforcement to control shrinkage cracks; steel fibers are more effective than
bars.
 Spray curing compound on fresh concrete immediately after the final finishing operation.
Check to be sure the coverage rate is equal or greater than the manufacturer's
recommendation and 1.5 times the recommendation in windy or hot weather.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sincere thanks to the following individuals for reviewing the tape series: Professor Kumar Mehta
of the University of California at Berkeley, Professor Paulo Monteiro of the University of
California at Berkeley, Professor Lawrence Kahn of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Mr.
Wayne Ferree of TerraTech Inc., Mr. Ashok Kakade of Concrete Science, Mr. Donald Pearman
of Pearman Construction Inc., and Mr. Andrew Bardakos of R.H. Wehner Construction Co.
REFERENCES FOR FURTHER STUDY

Concrete: Structure, Properties and Materials, by P. Kumar Mehta and Paulo J. M. Monteiro,
Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2nd Edition, 1993, pp. 548.
Properties of Concrete, by A.M. Neville, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York, 7th Edition, 1996,
pp. 842.

ACI Committee 224, Control of Cracking in Concrete Structures, Manual of Concrete Practice,
Part 3, American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Michigan, published annually, pp. 42.

ACI Committee 302, Guide for Concrete Floor and Slab Construction, Manual of Concrete
Practice, Part 2, American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Michigan, published annually, pp. 46.

Concrete Floors on Ground, Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois, 1983, pp. 36.

Designing Floor Slabs On Grade, by Boyd C. Ringo and Robert B. Anderson, The Aberdeen
Group, Addision, Illinois, 1992, pp.199.

Part 1: Avoid Cracks in Concrete

Slabs-On-Grade
Video Summary Notes
AVOID CRACKS IN CONCRETE SLABS-ON-GRADE

By Harvey Haynes
Consulting Concrete Engineer

Part 1 of 2 :: Types of Cracks and Their Cause

By Harvey Haynes
Consulting Concrete Engineer

Part 1 of 2 :: Types of Cracks and Their Cause

SOIL MOVEMENT

Heave
Expansive clay soils swell or heave with an increase in moisture content. Cracks in concrete
slabs caused by heave can be identified by vertical offsets, cracks running parallel to an exterior
wall, or cracks exhibiting an X-shaped pattern in a small room. It is difficult to distinguish cracks
caused by heave from those caused by settlement.

Settlement
Slabs that have been overloaded or have weak soil support will settle due to soil consolidation.
The strength of the slab greatly depends on the strength of the soil support. A slab four inches
thick can be quite strong on firm soil, but may crack easily on weak soil. Cracks due to
settlement can appear as half-circle cracks at the edge of slabs, cracks raveling along the edges,
slabs breaking into small pieces (sections of one or two feet per side), or diagonal cracks across
corners of slabs.
THERMAL BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE

Seasonal Temperature Change

If concrete is cast in the summer, it can experience a temperature decrease of 100° F by the
middle of winter. This decrease in temperature can cause a slab 100 feet long to contract about
3/4 of an inch. This contraction movement may crack the slab. Contraction joints are placed in
slabs to encourage the cracks to occur at the joint locations. If the slab is cast in winter, then the
concrete could experience a 100° F increase in temperature by the summer. In this case, the slab
would expand about 3/4 of an inch. Expansion joints are required to allow the slab to expand, or
the slab may buckle.

Daily Temperature Change

Daily temperature change causes a varying temperature through the thickness of the slab. The
sun heats the top surface, which causes the concrete near the top to expand, and the slab develops
a hump shape where the middle is higher than the edges. If the top surface is colder than the
bottom, the slab will have a curled shape where the edges are higher than the middle.

Heat of Hydration
Heat of hydration is heat internally generated by the concrete during the chemical process of
cement hydration. Hydration is the mechanism by which cement sets and then gains strength.

During the first night after concrete is cast, a common crack that occurs is caused by the
combination of heat of hydration and warm ambient temperatures on the day the concrete is cast.
Typically concrete is cast in the morning, and by the afternoon a hot sun raises the temperature
of the concrete, especially near the top surface. Internally, concrete generates a considerable
amount of heat due to heat of hydration. By sunset of the first day, the concrete can be quite
warm, easily 120° F. Cool evening temperatures initially reduce the temperature at the top
surface, and this cooler concrete contracts. At this young age the concrete is quite weak, and the
contraction movement can crack the concrete. By the next morning, the slab is found cracked.
For this reason, contraction joints (also called control joints) must be installed the same day that
the concrete is cast.
SHRINKAGE BEHAVIOR OF CONCRETE
Crazing Cracks
These cracks appear at the very top surface layer of the slab where a thin layer of cement paste
has lost water too rapidly and cracked. These cracks are very fine and shallow.

Plastic Shrinkage Cracks

Plastic shrinkage cracks develop when too much water evaporates while the concrete is fresh, or
plastic in consistency. These cracks have a distinct form. They are quite wide at the surface, their
depth into the slab is usually limited to about one to two inches, they range in length from about
six inches to five feet, they usually develop parallel to one another, and they don't run to the
edges of the slab.

Drying Shrinkage Cracks

These are the typical shrinkage cracks, which develop after the concrete is hard. They can appear
randomly across slabs or have a uniform pattern. These cracks also extend from re-entry corners.

If a cube four inches on a side were to dry over several months, each side would decrease in
width by about 0.002 inch. The entire cube will decrease in volume. When cubes are laid end to
end for a distance of 20 feet, the change in length would be about 1/8 inch. In a slab this gap
would be the crack width.

Why does the cube get smaller? Technically, there are two contributing reasons why moisture
loss causes shrinkage, and the explanations relate to two different void sizes within the concrete.
Concrete of residential home quality contains about 20 percent void volume. Part of this volume
is microscopic pores called capillary voids, which were created by the original mixing water.
Smaller voids, called gel voids, exist in the concrete within the hydrated cement particles. When
water evaporates from the capillary voids, capillary forces develop which place the water in
tension. Therefore the solids are placed in compression, and shrinkage occurs. When water
within the gel voids evaporates, the hydrated cement particles become smaller and additional
shrinkage occurs.

If ambient conditions are at 100 percent relative humidity a concrete slab will not shrink. At 40
percent relative humidity, and many months of drying time, a slab 100 feet long can shrink up to
3/4 inch. Let rain soak the slab for a couple of days and the concrete will swell such that a
permanent shortening of 1/8 to 1/4 inch exists.

Uniform drying of concrete does not occur in slabs-on-grade because only one face is exposed to
evaporation. A moisture gradient exists through the slab thickness where the top is drier than the
bottom, so shrinkage will be greater at the top. This condition results in the slab having a cupped
or curled shape. This shape can be explained by picturing the 4-inch cube, where the top of the
cube is dry and shrinks by 0.002 inch, while the bottom is moist and does not shrink. The cube
would have a wedged shape. Place these cubes tightly together, end-to-end, for a distance of 20
feet and the slab will have a curled shape.

It is difficult to observe the slight curvature of curling, but measurements have been made on
highway pavement. For a slab 15 feet in length, measurements in the morning showed curling
where the edges of the slab picked up about 1/8 inch. In the afternoon, the slab essentially was
flat. The effect of the sun caused the top surface to expand, which countered the shrinkage, and
the slab leveled out. When night returned, the slab cooled and shrinkage again created the curled
shape of the slab.

There are situations where curling is restrained, such as a slab joined to a perimeter footing.
When curling is restrained, the stresses on the top surface of the slab are greater than if the slab
was free to curl, so cracks occur sooner. Because curling cannot be prevented, drying shrinkage
cracks in concrete slabs can only be minimized, not prevented.