The early-age behavior in base restrained reinforced concrete(RC) walls is analyzed using a three-dimensional finite element method in this study. After calculating the temperature and internal relative humidity variations of a RC wall, determination of stresses due to thermal gradients, differential drying shrinkage, and average drying shrinkage is followed, and the relative contribution of these three stress components to the total stress is compared. The mechanical properties of early-age concrete, determined from many experimental studies, are taken into account to exactly describe the structural behavior of early-age concrete. A discrete reinforcing steel which was derived using the equivalent nodal force concept model is used to simulate the cracking behavior of RC walls according to the steel ratio. In the model, the reinforcing steel is represented by one-dimensional truss element embedded in the concrete element and its stiffness is assumed to be distributed to each concrete node. In advance, to predict the crack spacing and maximum crack width in a base restrained RC wall, an analytical model which can simulate the post-cracking behavior of a RC tension member is introduced on the basis of the energy equilibrium before and after cracking of concrete. Finally, the effect of construction conditions and the amount of steel reinforcement on the cracking behavior of a reinforced concrete wall is analyzed and a design criterion to minimize the crack spacing is recommended on the basis of the obtained numerical results.
