The proper prediction of the width and the spacing of primary cracks in reinforced ele- ments is subject of this paper. Attention is focused on the influence of the crack con- cept. A comparison has been made between standard crack…
The proper prediction of the width and the spacing of primary cracks in reinforced ele- ments is subject of this paper. Attention is focused on the influence of the crack con- cept. A comparison has been made between standard crack models and the gradient crack model. The effect of the inclusion of a length scale parameter on the crack spac- ing is determined. Furthermore, attention is paid to the crucial role of the bond-slip characteristic in predicting crack spacing in reinforced elements.