Issue 75

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

Figure 35: Chart width versus setup time (first 4 hours).

Figure 36: Graph Length vs Fixation Time (First 4 hours).

Figure 37: Graph of cracks vs setting time (first 4 hours).

During the first four hours of curing, the results show that the control concrete (MP) exhibited more critical cracking behavior compared to the mixture with polypropylene synthetic fiber (DM-02). MP developed cracks with a maximum width of 0.49 mm, a maximum length of 20 mm, and a total of 10 cracks, while DM-02 registered lower values, with a maximum width of 0.40 mm, a maximum length of 16 mm, and a slightly lower number of cracks (9). These results indicate that, while cracking is not completely eliminated, the addition of polypropylene fiber reduces its severity, limits its propagation, and decreases its frequency, thus confirming its initial benefit as a control mechanism against shrinkage in fresh concrete.

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