Longitudinal Cracking

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Message: Longitudinal cracking in excess of 0.1 inch in width may indicate overloading or poor bedding.

Hairline longitudinal crack in the crown or invert indicate that the reinforcing steel has accepted part of the load. Cracks less than 0.01 inches in width are minor and only need to be noted. Cracks greater than hairline cracks, or those more than 0.01 inch in width but less than 0.1 inches (slightly more than the thickness of a nickel), should be noted as possible candidates for maintenance. Longitudinal cracking in excess of 0.1 inch in width may indicate overloading or poor bedding.

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  This crack extended the entire length of the conduit and put inspecting engineers on alert. Additional analyses showed the conduit was incorrectly designed and structurally inadequate. A complete replacement was determined to be the only long term solution.

Note: The content on this page was originally created as part of DamOutletWorks.org (DOWL, 2018). It has subsequently been updated and reformatted as part of the Dam Safety Toolbox.
Revision ID: 4677
Revision Date: 12/02/2022