1. Cracking and durability of reinforced concrete structures

Given the difference in moduli of elasticity between steel and concrete, we'll see that, if we want to load steel correctly, this implies that the tensioned concrete must be cracked: in reinforced concrete, cracking of the concrete in the tensioned or flexed zones is therefore normal.

On the other hand, for aesthetic reasons or because of the risk of reinforcement corrosion, it is necessary to limit crack openings. The fact that crack openings are limited for durability reasons explains why these openings are estimated under the...