Experimental and analytical studies on shrinkage cracking control in reinforced concrete structures using Shrinkage-Compensating Concrete (SCC)

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Concrete liquid containing structures (CLCS) are primarily used for the storage of water, wastewater and other industrial wastes. These structures are designed and detailed to meet serviceability requirements for crack and leakage control. In such lifeline facilities restrained temperature and shrinkage strains are one of the major reasons for cracking resulting in serviceability problems. The restraint against volumetric changes due to shrinkage or temperature variations is usually caused as a result of attachment to other structural segments which would result in the development of tensile strains. A good understanding of the behaviour of these structures is necessary in order to meet safety and serviceability objectives, while containing construction and maintenance costs. In this study, the use of shrinkage-compensating concrete (SCC) as a potential solution to minimize shrinkage cracking will be studied through several experimental and numerical case studies. The goal is to improve the concrete technology and to provide engineers with practical design guidelines in an effort to introduce a superior design solution. This will lead to a better performance against cracking in the walls of CLCS. The main objective is to investigate if the proper choice of a smart material such as SCC could lead to superior performance in cracking/leakage control in the vulnerable regions of CLCS, as compared to the customary concrete material typically used in today's practice. The study involves testing long structural beams exposed to environmental effects while undergoing thermal and shrinkage movements. A numerical model will also be developed to simulate the experimental program for parametric studies. It is expected that this research will provide a useful framework towards the development of practical design guidelines for CLCS. The study will also provide practical benefit to the Canadian society by providing a safe and leak-tight construction solution vital for minimizing the environmental impacts and thus potential hazards to public safety.