Materials and Structures, 1995, 28, 431-433

RILEM BULLETIN
BULLETIN DE LA RILEM

I n t e r n a t i o n a l C o n f e r e n c e on T h e r m a l C r a c k i n g in C o n c r e t e at
Early Ages
Technical University of Munich, 1 0 - 1 2 O c t o b e r 1994

JEAN-LOUIS BOSTVIRONNOIS

1. INTRODUCTION paid tribute to this practice oriented

200 concrete experts and scientists
from 25 different countries, including
30 participants from East Asia alone,
attended the RILEM international
conference on Thermal Cracking in
Concrete at Early Ages in Munich,
10-12 October 1994, in order to
exchange new knowledge on thermal
stresses and to inform themselves
about the ways of avoiding thermal
cracking in concrete at early ages.
56 papers [1-1 on this complex
topic were presented in short lectures.
The discussion was conducted in
8 technical sessions, each session
being introduced by a general report
[2-1.
The theme of the symposium was not
the development but the avoidance of
cracks in concrete. Professor R.
Springenschmid, as host and chairman
of RILEM Committee 119-TCE, pointed
out that cracks reduce the durability of
structures and can affect the function
of special structures such as tanks. To
solve this problem a state of the art
report has been compiled and technical
recommendations [2] have been
worked out.
The Vice-president of the Technical
University Of Munich, Professor E.
Jessen, the Chairman of the German
Concrete Association, Dr. H. Luber, and
the Vice-president of the Association
of Bavarian Building Industry, G. Moll,
0025-5432/95 9 RILEM
work.
During hardening, the temperature of
concrete structures can increase con-
siderably due to the heat of hydration
of the cement. This results in expansion.
Contraction then occurs during the
following cooling phase. If the strain in
the concrete is restrained externally
(static undefined bedding) or if there
is considerable dead weight (e.g., in the
case of slabs), restraint stresses occur.
Not only is the thermal strain of the
concrete restrained during hydration,
but also the non-thermal strain, which
is due to chemical shrinkage or
swelling.
The development of the stress in
concrete at early ages does not depend
only on the temperature variation
during hydration. The development of
the mechanical properties of the
concrete, particularly Young's modulus
and relaxation, plays a decisive part too.
During the first hours after mixing the
concrete heats up, but compressive
stresses do not occur yet because the
concrete can still be completely
deformed plastically (Fig. 1 ). Only after
the first zero-stress temperature Tzl is
exceeded do compressive stresses
arise. However, these stresses relax
considerably. Therefore the maximum
value of compressive stress is reached
before the maximum temperature. As
the concrete gradually cools down, the
compressive stresses decrease rapidly
~Tz.2 .
(~ ~ time
L)
-(3-
~ time
Fig. 1 Centric restraint stresses in
young concrete.
due to the residual relaxation and
the Young's modulus, which is now
sufficiently high. Tensile stresses arise.
On further cooling, the tensile strength
of the concrete is reached and it
cracks.
The main subjects of the sym-
posium were the determination of
the heat of hydration, the prediction
of temperature development, the
measurement of thermal stresses
in the laboratory and in situ, the
determination and modelling of mech-
anical properties, the influence of
constituents and composition of con-
crete on cracking sensitivity, the
432
computational assessment of stresses
and cracking, practical measures for the
avoidance of cracking, and case
records.
2. TECHNICAL SESSIONS
2.1 Determination of the heat
o f hydration
(Chairman Dr. P. Acker,
France; Genera/Reporter Dr.
P. Morabito, Italy)
After a brief review of the literature, Dr.
Morabito gave in his general report a
detailed description of the adiabatic
and semiadiabatic methods for the
determination of the heat of hydration
of concrete. He also reported on the
results of a round robin test in which
12 research or testing laboratories took
part. The details for carrying out or
evaluating the tests as well as for
the construction of the testing devices
are summarized in [2]. Current research
deals with modelling the development
of the heat of hydration and the
mechanical properties of young con-
crete which depend on the heat of
hydration.
2.2 Prediction of temperature
development during hydration
(Chairman Professor E. Se/levold,
Norway; Genera/Reporter Dr. K.
van Breugel, The Netherlands)
Calculation of temperature develop-
ment in concrete structures during
hardening is important when designing
structures with regard to the risk of
cracking. Dr. van Breugel gave a survey
of current calculation methods and of
the models which form the basis of
these methods. It is remarkable how
refined the methods are. The chemical
and physical properties of the cement
and the influence of moisture transport
are often taken into account.
2.3 Measurement of thermal
stresses in the laboratory
(Chairman Professor H. - W.
Reinhardt, Germany; General
Reporter Dr. M. Mango/d,
Germany)
Dr. Mangold gave a detailed survey of
methods for measuring thermal stresses
in young concrete in the laboratory.
These methods include the rigid
cracking frame and the temperature
stress testing machine with which
stresses can be measured for a
, Anchor
Concrete//4~
..J~""~k:::t=.
J / . _, . - ._, ' , .
-,..o~'F'~lr
Fig. 2 Schematic diagram of the stressmeter.
specified degree of restraint. Further-
more, a method using ultrasound was
presented, with which the development
of Young's modulus at early ages can
be determined.
2.4 M e a s u r e m e n t o f thermal
stresses in situ
(Chairman Professor J. C.
Wa/raven, The Netherlands,"
General Reporter Professor T.
Tanabe, Japan)
The measurement of stresses in young
concrete is essential for the verification
and the calibration of the methods
of calculation, as Professor Tanabe
emphasized. Methods like strain gauges
or vibrating wires are not suitable. A
new measuring instrument has been
developed in Japan, the stressmeter,
which allows the continuous measure-
ment of stresses in concrete at very
early ages (Fig. 2). Three papers
reported on the application of the
stressmeter and on the measurements
carried out with it. The results lead to
refinement of existing models and
calculation methods. Hints on the
installation and the use of the
stressmeter and on the evaluation of the
results are described in a technical
recommendation r2].
2.5 Determination and
modelling of mechanical
properties of concrete at
early ages
(Chairman Dr. Y. Nojiri, Japan;
General Reporter Professor F. S.
Rost~sy, Germany)
Professor Rost~sy pointed out in his
general report the multitude of models
for the description of the mechanical
properties of young concrete, and
underlined the different bases of these
models: formulae derived from testing
results or calculation methods which
are based on physical or thermo-
dynamic considerations. A focal point
of the models presented was the
description of creep and relaxation at
early ages.
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2.6 Influence of constituents and
composition of concrete on
cracking s e n s i t i v i t y
(Chairman Dr. H. Sommer,
Austria; Genera/Reporter Dr. R
BreitenbOcher, Germany)
Dr. Breitenb~cher described in his
general report the influence of the
constituents and composition of con-
crete on the cracking sensitivity of
concrete, and commented on concrete
technological measures which lead to
a reduction in the cracking sensitivity
of the concrete. Among these measures
are the observance of a low fresh
concrete temperature, the use of a
favourable cement whose cracking
tendency, can be determined in a
standard test in the cracking frame ]-2],
the use of crushed aggregates with a
low coefficient of thermal expansion,
the partial replacement of the cement
with fly ash, and the use of air-
entraining agents. Several papers dealt
with the higher cracking risk deter-
mined for high strength concretes. This
was attributed in particular to self-
desiccation which occurs at early ages.
In this case, the cracking sensitivity can
be reduced by the use of fly ash instead
of silica fume.
2.7 Computational assessment of
thermal stresses and
cracking risk
(Chairmen Dr. G. Cadoret,
France, and Professor M. Wicke,
Austria; General Reporter
Professor M. Emborg, Sweden)
The trend of engineers towards
computational methods was shown by
the number of papers dealing with the
numerical determination of stresses
and of the cracking risk. Professor
Emborg referred to the connection
between the heat of hydration and the
mechanical properties of the young
concrete. The different methods were
listed which are used to describe
these relationships mathematically. He
proposed drawing up a list of the
existing programs for the computation