A GENERAL METHOD FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF LENGTH CHANGE AT EARLY AGES ON CRACK AND DEFORMATION OF RC FLEXURAL MEMBERS

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of length change at early ages on flexural performance of reinforced high-strength concrete members, and proposes design equations for evaluating the crack width and deformation of RC flexural members considering the effect of length change prior to loading. The results show that length change before loading affect serviceability limit states such as flexural cracking load, crack width and deformation of the RC beams. In addition, flexural crack widths and curvatures of RC beams can be accurately calculated by the proposed equations, taking into account the stress change in the tension reinforcement from the state where the stress in concrete at the depth of the tension reinforcement is zero.