Issue 75

M. Ramos et alii, Fracture and structural integrity, 75 (2026) 399-434 ; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.75.29

R ESULTS AND ANALYSIS

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n Peru, there is no specific standard or guideline that details or explains the measurement of drying shrinkage cracks in concrete. Standards NTP 399.022, NTP 399.013, NTP 399.011, and NTP 399.015 provide general guidelines for evaluating cracks in concrete, without specifying a direct and simple method. For this reason, the present research is based on the American standard ASTM C1579. This standard was used with the objective of proposing the use of physical models (see figure 1), which seek to accurately represent real slabs for applied research purposes. Simultaneously with the verification of a suitable mix design, 20 samples of the physical slab models were molded: 5 control concrete slabs (MP), 5 MP-01 slabs, 5 DM-02 slabs and 5 DM-03 slabs.

Figure 5: Emptying of the 20 samples of the physical slab models.

After molding, the samples underwent a continuous curing process under identical environmental conditions , as the objective was to simulate the actual curing of concrete slabs in construction. Therefore, simply immersing them in water was not representative of the real-world conditions anticipated in the research. Consequently, it was determined that the best way to cure the physical slab models was to water their surfaces daily, supplemented by a cover that would help retain moisture for an extended period, thus ensuring that the samples remained in constant contact with moisture for proper concrete curing.

Figure 6: Curing of the physical slab model samples.

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