SHRINKAGE CRACKING RESISTANCE MECHANISM OF CONCRETE WITH HIGH BLAST-FURNACE SLAG CONTENT

Concrete with high blast-furnace slag content, replacing 60-70% of ordinary Portland cement (OPC), is recognized for its environmental benefits. However, its application was limited to underground structures because of cracking resistance concerns. This research quantitatively evaluates and enhances the shrinkage cracking resistance of this concrete for broader applications. Results indicate that this concrete exhibits higher cracking resistance than OPC concrete and can be improved through initial wet curing and use of limestone aggregate. Furthermore, stress analysis of restrained shrinkage was conducted, and the results showed that the employed analytical method was generally capable of predicting the stress with good accuracy.