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When the (intrinsic) tensile stress, caused by shrinkage of the concrete becomes greater than its tensile capacity—cracks form. These plastic shrinkage cracks generally pass through the entire slab and form planes of weakness, permanently diminishing the integrity of the structure before the concrete has had the opportunity to gain its designed strength.
These cracking events are also fairly common, and why traditional thinking will usually place WWR (Welded Wire Reinforcement) in the concrete to address these issues. This default thinking will only provide value if the WWR is properly placed. It must be chaired-up and placed in the top third (which is rarely the case) to have a positive impact on these cracking conditions. Unfortunately, even when placed properly, the WWR does nothing to prevent the formation of cracks. Its reinforcement is only on one plane like FiberWorx Fibers do. Even more, properly placing WWR typically costs about twice as much as the effortless placement of FiberWorx Fibers!
One option for Level II & III Reinforcement, Durastran®HB, dosed between 0.2 & 0.4% (depending on the reinforcement needs) is an easy choice. This hybrid blend of fibers combines the best of both worlds as a Total Crack Management System: a Micro-Fiber to manage the Level I type cracks, and a Macro-Fiber to handle the stress and strain caused by Level II type cracking. The Durastran®HB Fibers are proactive, three-dimensional, built-in reinforcement, and are always positioned properly!
