Part two in our series on effective crack prevention, control, and repair discusses how to control concrete cracking. Tomorrow, we will cover how to repair cracks.

We’ve Discussed Preventing Concrete Cracks, But How Do You Control Them?

You can control cracks by designing your structure in a way that predetermines the location and width of each crack.

Predetermining Their Location and Width

The location can be predetermined by creating intentional planes of weakness within the concrete. These areas are called control or contraction joints. By encouraging a crack to form in those places, you can prevent random cracking, which can be more difficult to repair.

Then, you can easily seal the properly formed control joints with the right waterproofing product. Even if cracks do occur between those joints, their widths will be smaller.

Using an Effective Reinforcing Steel Design

You can minimize crack width further with proper and adequate reinforcing steel design. Good reinforcement will result in cracks that are very small. These small cracks will allow crystalline waterproofing admixtures to self-seal the cracks without any need for repair work. As an added bonus, the concrete and structure will be much stronger.

Need a Refresher on Part 1?

Read yesterday’s post on crack prevention.