CRACK WIDTH IN CONCRETE MEMBERS REINFORCED WITH WELDED WIRE FABRIC

In this paper, a simple approach is proposed to calculate the width of cracks in concrete members reinforced with welded wire fabric. It is based on the familiar "bond theory" in which the distribution of interfacial bond stresses along a segment between two adjacent cracks is assumed as uniform. The predictions of the method are compared with available test results on such members in direct tension and pure flexure. Also compared are the predictions of a more rigorous method proposed earlier by the authors and of the equations from building codes, where available. In general, the current approach gives a conservative, but reasonably accurate, estimate of the maximum crack widths.