Does exposed aggregate crack the same way as plain concrete?

Broadly yes — the underlying concrete beneath an exposed aggregate finish is subject to the same genuine shrinkage and structural cracking principles as plain concrete, since the finish is a surface treatment, not a fundamentally different material.

Correct control joint spacing matters just as much for exposed aggregate as for plain concrete, managing where shrinkage cracking occurs rather than preventing it from happening at all.

Visually, cracking in exposed aggregate can sometimes be less noticeable than in plain concrete due to the textured surface, though this isn’t a reason to skip proper joint design — the underlying structural principle remains genuinely the same.

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