Influence of Aggregates on Cracking Sensitivity of Concrete

Upon large demands from southwest of China where a large number of hydropower stations are schemed or under construction with presence of a variety of aggregates, it is of necessity to launch a comprehensive investigation on influence of aggregates on properties of concrete which was rarely reported before. Four types of aggregates selected from different construction sites were used to conduct tests, and results indicated that water absorption of aggregates exhibited a consistent rising tendency over 180 days and it had close relationship with autogenously shrinkage of concrete which varied in the manner that high water absorption of aggregates produced more obvious shrinkage. With employment of advanced temperature and stress machine, concrete made with diorite and basalt was rated better than limestone and natural granite concrete in crack resistance based on comparison of cracking temperature and thermal impact according to RILEM TC119.