Cracks and Fractures in Concrete: Learn How to Prevent Them and Ensure Safer Structures

Written by Andriely Medeiros de Araújo

Published on 26/05/2025 at 19:08

Evitar trincas e rachaduras no concreto é essencial para preservar a resistência e a durabilidade das construções. Imagem:Canva.

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Avoiding Cracks And Fissures In Concrete Is Essential For Preserving Strength And Durability Of Constructions. Simple Techniques, Applied From Preparation To Curing, Make All The Difference In The Integrity Of Structures.

Cracks and fissures in concrete are not just a visual problem. They can indicate serious structural failures, compromising the safety of the work. Often, these damages appear within the first few hours after pouring concrete, due to factors such as excessive heat, rapid loss of water, or material shrinkage.

Therefore, understanding how to avoid cracks and fissures in concrete from the start of the construction process is essential to ensure the quality of the structure over the years.

Heat And Water Loss: The Main Causes Of Fissures

Two factors deserve special attention in the emergence of fissures:

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How To Avoid Cracks And Fissures In Concrete?

There are practical and accessible measures to avoid this type of problem. Here are the main ones:

1. Add Plasticizers To The Mix

Volumetric shrinkage is one of the biggest villains of structures. An effective solution is the use of plasticizing additives, which reduce the need for water and cement in the composition. This way, concrete undergoes fewer volume variations and decreases the risk of cracks.

2. Moisten The Forms Before Pouring

Moistening the forms that will receive the concrete is a simple action, but it yields good results. It helps to reduce the temperature of the material after setting and improves the bond between the concrete and the form. As a result, the possibility of fissures decreases.

Curing In The First Days Is Crucial

Proper curing of concrete in the first seven days is decisive for the resistance of the structure. According to experts, “wetting the concrete elements at least twice a day helps control the temperature and minimize volume variations,” preventing the formation of cracks and fissures.

Extra Tips To Keep Concrete Protected

In addition to the practices mentioned, it is also possible to protect concrete by covering the elements with materials that retain moisture, such as:

Wet Sand
Cardboard Soaked In Water

These techniques help maintain a stable temperature and ensure more efficient curing.

Prevention Is The Best Route

Investing in care from the preparation of concrete to the curing stage is the safest way to avoid cracks and fissures.

By following good practices, it is possible to ensure greater durability, structural performance, and savings on future maintenance.

Whether in small projects or large undertakings, applying appropriate techniques is essential to deliver solid, safe, and durable results.

Fissure, Crack Or Fissure? Understand The Difference!

Source: Grupo CMP.

Cracks and Fractures in Concrete: Learn How to Prevent Them and Ensure Safer Structures

Avoiding Cracks And Fissures In Concrete Is Essential For Preserving Strength And Durability Of Constructions. Simple Techniques, Applied From Preparation To Curing, Make All The Difference In The Integrity Of Structures.

Heat And Water Loss: The Main Causes Of Fissures

How To Avoid Cracks And Fissures In Concrete?

1. Add Plasticizers To The Mix

2. Moisten The Forms Before Pouring

Curing In The First Days Is Crucial

Extra Tips To Keep Concrete Protected

Prevention Is The Best Route

Fissure, Crack Or Fissure? Understand The Difference!

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Cracks and Fractures in Concrete: Learn How to Prevent Them and Ensure Safer Structures

Avoiding Cracks And Fissures In Concrete Is Essential For Preserving Strength And Durability Of Constructions. Simple Techniques, Applied From Preparation To Curing, Make All The Difference In The Integrity Of Structures.

Heat And Water Loss: The Main Causes Of Fissures

How To Avoid Cracks And Fissures In Concrete?

1. Add Plasticizers To The Mix

2. Moisten The Forms Before Pouring

Curing In The First Days Is Crucial

Extra Tips To Keep Concrete Protected

Prevention Is The Best Route

Fissure, Crack Or Fissure? Understand The Difference!

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Austrian engineers have developed an inflatable concrete technology that transforms flat slabs into domes using only air pressure, eliminating scaffolding and temporary forms, and potentially changing the way bridges, tunnels, and curved roofs are constructed worldwide.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Portugal installs two giant underwater sockets to draw water from the Atlantic and create a €107.9 million desalination plant in the Algarve capable of producing 43.2 million liters of potable water per day with ocean intake 2 km from the coast.

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