Even though reinforced concrete (RC) is one of the most used manmade materials in the world, and adequate models exist for the prediction and design of the ultimate capacity of RC structures, the prediction of service life behaviour is still not mature enough for actual design purposes. This may lead to immediate repair needs, inadequate service life behaviour even when regulatory prescriptions for design are strictly followed, or at other times to unnecessary overdesign of reinforcement, which has negative consequences on both sustainability and economic aspects. This is amplified by development of new more sustainable cements and supplementary materials since the range of material properties needed for SLS-design is considerably wider than for ULS design.
One of the most common issues relevant to many RC structures which is encountered on-site is that of cracking. Understanding the interplay between fundamental mechanisms involved in the processes of hydration-induced temperature, shrinkage, creep, loading and herewith caused cracking requires interdisciplinary integration of materials science and structural engineering. A comprehensive approach to this problem requires the design of robust experimental techniques, development of multiscale models (micro, meso and mainly, macro-scale) and evaluation of code-based and other analytical approaches relevant to crack control in concrete which is also the aim of RILEM TC CCS: Early age and long term crack width analysis in RC structures.
The conference aimed to bring together experts to share the state-of-the-art developments on the aforementioned fields and the progress within RILEM TC CCS: Early age and long term crack width analysis in RC structures. The conference consisted of lectures by researchers and other professionals from a variety of scientific disciplines in works targeted to crack control in concrete.
The conference took place in hybrid online/physical format, with most of the 210 attendants being online. A group photo was taken amongst online participants:
