Temporal and spatial development of drying shrinkage cracking in cement-based materials

In optical microscopy and acoustic emission (AE) experiments, the development in time and space of drying shrinkage cracks in hardened cement paste and a cement composite containing mono-sized glass particles has been studied. The results indicate two types of restraint, i.e. self-restraint of the specimen/structure, and aggregate restraint. In plain cement paste cracks initially develop perpendicular to the drying surface, but may subsequently...