Plastic Shrinkage and Cracks in Concrete

Plastic shrinkage cracking occurs when fresh concrete experiences rapid moisture loss. Factors like air and concrete temperature, humidity, and wind velocity play crucial roles in this phenomenon. These conditions lead to high evaporation rates, causing differential volume changes in the #plastic concrete and resulting in #cracks ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 mm in width. #Concrete, susceptible to tensile stresses, can develop non-structural plastic cracks due to a combination of restraint and contraction characteristics.