The utility and appropriateness of PN-EN 1992-3 [8] codes of practice concerning the control of cracking occurring in RC tank walls with the use of a simplified method is verified. A special focus is given to the control of cracking induced by thermal effects. Moreover, the paper presents vital issues not mentioned in PN-EN 1992-3[8], i.e. the influence of concrete cover thickness, concreting conditions and non-uniform self-equilibrating stresses. It proposes relationships and corrective values, with the use of which values φs and sz, appropriate for cases other than those defined in PN-EN 1992-3[8], can be established. It is shown that code charts 7.103N and 7.104N concerning φs * and sz *, due to code assumptions, have a very limited range of practical use.

The utility and appropriateness of PN-EN 1992-3 [8] codes of practice concerning the control of cracking occurring in RC tank walls with the use of a simplified method is verified. A special focus is given to the control of cracking induced by thermal effects. Moreover, the paper presents vital issues not mentioned in PN-EN 1992-3[8], i.e. the influence of concrete cover thickness, concreting conditions and non-uniform self-equilibrating stresses. It proposes relationships and corrective values, with the use of which values φs and sz, appropriate for cases other than those defined in PN-EN 1992-3[8], can be established. It is shown that code charts 7.103N and 7.104N concerning φs * and sz *, due to code assumptions, have a very limited range of practical use.