A rigorous analytical model for shrinkage cracking of reinforced concrete

Concrete shrinks as it dries. If its shrinkage movement is restrained, it can crack, causing serviceability and durability problems. To ensure satisfactory performance of a reinforced concrete (RC) structure, the shrinkage crack widths are generally controlled to within acceptable limits by providing steel reinforcement for crack control. However, due to unavoidable empiricism, the design guidelines given in the various design codes for computing the amount of crack-control steel are rather inconsistent. Moreover, the various existing models for prediction of crack widths do not agree with each other, indicating that the shrinkage cracking phenomenon is still far from fully understood. With the aim of resolving this problem, a rigorous analytical model for shrinkage cracking of RC is presented. The governing equations are first derived purely based on the mechanics of the steel bar–concrete interaction. The governing equations are then solved analytically without making any unjustified assumptions. Finally, the analytical model is validated through analysis of experimental results from the literature.