Minimum Reinforcement of Thick Concrete Elements

• Published in: Control of Cracking in Reinforced Concrete Structures pp. 1 - 2
• Main Authors: Chauvel, Daniele, Barre, Francis, Cortade, Jacques, Dubois, Jean-Philippe, Erlicher, Silvano, Gallitre, Etienne, Coste, Jean-François, Bisch, Philippe, Mazars, Jacky, Labbé, Pierre
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons 2016; John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Civil Engineering & Construction Materials; Concrete & Related Materials; long‐term effects; reinforcement rules; short‐term reinforcement; temperature cycle; tensile stresses
• ISBN: 9781786300522; 1786300524
• DOI: 10.1002/9781119347088.ch6

This chapter presents a set of reinforcement rules for early age concrete elements, given that the stabilized cracking level is often not reached at the SLS for these elements. The calculation of reinforcement needs to be adapted to the function of the element under load. The short‐term period lasts during the heating and cooling phases of the young age concrete and ends when the self‐stresses due to this phenomenon have disappeared. Long‐term reinforcement used to estimate the tensile stresses resulting from long‐term effects such as drying or daily temperature cycle. In long‐term reinforcement three cases should be considered drying without restraint, drying with restraint and daily variations of temperature of thick elements exposed to the environment. The tensile zone should be estimated by taking account of the drying of each thickness according to time, or by considering the overall geometry of the element.