In addition, today’s slabs have fewer built-in safety features to minimize problems associated with shrinkage cracks. The increasing popularity and growth of ceramic and marble tile, in particular for flooring installations, has made system protection even more necessary.
Concrete shrinks. Its volume is greatest when freshly poured. But concrete almost immediately begins to shrink due to mix water loss stemming from surface evaporation and/or entry into the soil or sand layer beneath the slab. This process of mix water loss may continue for years.