Equation Pad › Library › Eurocode 2 › Serviceability
Crack width calculation
Cracked elastic section, steel stress, mean strain difference, maximum crack spacing and the crack width. Reference: EN 1992-1-1 7.3.4.
Open this sheet in Equation Pad Browse the Library

Example only. This sheet shows one way to set out the check. It is not endorsed by the bodies that publish the design codes and does not reproduce them. Check every clause, value and assumption against your own copy of the current edition of Eurocode 2 and its national annex before you use it, and have the result checked by a competent person. See the disclaimer.
The calculation, line by line
Every line below is typed into Equation Pad exactly as shown; the app typesets it, works out the value with its units and shows checks as TRUE or FALSE. Change any input and everything below it updates.
# Inputs
b := 300 mm
h := 600 mm
d := 545 mm
A_s := 1473 mm^2
phi := 25 mm
c := 40 mm
M_qp := 170 kN*m
f_ck := 30 MPa
E_s := 200 GPa
E_cm := 33 GPa
phi_cr := 2.0
k_t := 0.4
# Cracked section
E_ceff := E_cm/(1 + phi_cr) = GPa
alpha_e := E_s/E_ceff =
x := (-alpha_e*A_s + sqrt((alpha_e*A_s)^2 + 2*b*alpha_e*A_s*d))/b = mm
sigma_s := M_qp/(A_s*(d - x/3)) = MPa
# Effective tension area
h_ceff := min(2.5*(h - d), (h - x)/3, h/2) = mm
rho_peff := A_s/(b*h_ceff) =
f_cteff := 0.30*(f_ck/(1 MPa))^(2/3)*1 MPa =
# Crack width
Delta_eps := max((sigma_s - k_t*f_cteff/rho_peff*(1 + alpha_e*rho_peff))/E_s, 0.6*sigma_s/E_s) =
s_rmax := 3.4*c + 0.425*0.8*0.5*phi/rho_peff = mm
w_k := s_rmax*Delta_eps = mm
w_k <= 0.3 mm =
How to use this example
- Click Open this sheet in Equation Pad. It opens as a new worksheet in your browser; nothing is installed.
- Change the inputs at the top to those of your project.
- Check the clauses and coefficients against the code, add your own checks, and save the sheet or export a PDF with your title block.
More Eurocode 2 sheets on serviceability
- Deflection control by span to effective depth ratio
- Maximum bar spacing for crack control
- Stress limits at the serviceability limit state
- Stresses in a cracked rectangular section
- Cracking moment of a rectangular section
- Deflection by interpolation between uncracked and cracked states