Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-11-016
Date: August 2011
Printable Version (.pdf, 1.3 mb)

Webinar to Present Expert Guidance on Controlling Concrete Cracking

Learn from experts nationwide by participating in the upcoming Webinar, "Control of Concrete Cracking in Bridges and Pavements," scheduled for September 15, 2011, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. (eastern daylight time). Cosponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the Webinar is part of the ongoing Innovations series, which is designed to bring representatives from State and local transportation agencies, industry, academia, and others timely information on today's highway technology advances. This series is hosted by FHWA's National Highway Institute (NHI), in conjunction with the FHWA Highways for LIFE program.

Mechanical loading, environmental factors, and such harmful reactions as sulfate attack, corrosion of reinforcing steel, and alkali-aggregate reaction can all result in the development of tensile stresses in concrete. These stresses frequently result in cracking, both in the early stages of construction and during the concrete's service life. As the Webinar will explore, the potential for cracking can be minimized by taking certain precautions in design, materials selection, and construction practices, thus extending the life of the pavement or bridge.

The Webinar is based on Control of Cracking in Concrete: State of the Art, a circular published by TRB's Committee AFN10, Basic Research and Emerging Technologies Related to Concrete. Topics covered will include:

• Causes of concrete cracking.
• Testing and detecting cracks.
• Controlling cracking.
• Practices to prevent cracks.

Among the featured speakers are representatives from Purdue University, University of Kansas, and the New York State Department of Transportation.

More information and a link for registration will be available in August at www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl (click on "Communications").