One of the most common causes of customer complaint that concrete contractors is cracks in concrete. Unfortunately for homeowners the fact is that there is absolutely no guarantee against at happening, Although cracks an not be avoided altogether, a professional concrete contractor will take care and all necessary measures to minimise the cracks in the concrete.
These are the common causes of cracks in your concrete. These need to be taken into account so the necessary actions can be taken to prevent it happening.
Too much water in the concrete mix. Often times, excess water is added by concrete contractors as it makes the installation of concrete a lot easier. When too much water is added, it greatly weakens the strength of the concrete. Drying shrinkage is also affected by the amount of water added to the concrete. This refers to shrinking of the concrete as it dries and hardens because the water evaporates. This simply means that the more water that you add to the concrete the more the concrete will be affected by shrinkage cracking. When it hardens, the concrete pulls apart leaving cracks in the surface. The Solution: To get stronger concrete and avoid shrinkage, you should be using the minimum amount of water in your mix. Find out the maximum of water you can add to the mix design before it affects the overall strength. Chemical additives can be added to the concrete mix to make the concrete more workable. Also, control joints should be installed by the concrete contractor to force the concrete to crack at a predetermined place.
The concrete is drying out too quickly. The hardening of concrete happens because of a chemical reaction that changes the concrete from a liquid into a solid. Water is a key ingredient in this reaction, known as hydration. This reaction happens over weeks after the concrete has been laid. When the reaction happens too quickly, cracking an often occur. How to solve it: In order for concrete to achieve its maximum strength, it needs to have sufficient kept in the concrete for the hydration to happen. This is done by curing the concrete. Curing of the concrete also helps with shrinkage cracking by giving the concrete time to harden. Some of the most common methods of curing are covering the concrete with either plastic or canvas or by the use of chemical curing agents which are sprayed onto the concrete after it has been placed and finished.
The concrete installed is not the proper strength. Concrete comes at different strengths. Cracks can occur when you use the wrong strength concrete for your project. Solution: Consult with your ready-mix concrete supplier to ensure that you choose the strength concrete that is appropriate for your specific use.
Sudden fluctuations in temperature can create cracks in concrete also. For example, if you are pouring a concrete driveway and you get a sudden drop in temperature. The middle of the concrete will be expanding and the surface will be cooling and contacting. This results in cracks. Corrosion of steel reinforcement over time can also lead to cracking. If the ground underneath the concrete settles this can result in the slab being unevenly supported which will eventually lead to cracking. Because of all these reasons, it is crucial that you have your concrete installed by an experienced concrete professional. They will ensure that the necessary steps are taken prior to, during and after the concrete is placed to minimise the likelihood of these cracks happening.
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