Shrinkage

Introduction
Shrinkage, after hardening of concrete, is the decrease
with time of concrete volume. The decrease is due to
changes in the moisture content of the concrete and
physico-chemical changes, which occur without stress
attributable to actions external to the concrete. The
converse of shrinkage is swellage which denotes
volumetric increase due to moisture gain in the hardened
concrete. Shrinkage is conveniently expressed as a
dimensionless strain (in./in. or m/m) under steady
conditions of relative humidity and temperature.
Introduction
The above definition includes the following types of
shrinkage:
 Plastic shrinkage, is due to moisture loss in the
concrete, occurs before setting and can be prevented by
eliminating evaporation after casting the concrete.
 Drying shrinkage, is due to moisture loss in the
concrete, occurs after setting.
 Autogenous shrinkage, It also occurs after setting and
caused by the internal consumption of water by
hydration of cement, the products of which occupy less
volume than the sum of the original water and
unhydrated cement.
Introduction
 Carbonation shrinkage, results as the various cement
hydration products are carbonated in the presence of
CO2. Drying shrinkage normally includes any
carbonation shrinkage although the latter is different in
nature. Carbonation is more likely to be known in
connection with a cause of possible corrosion of steel
reinforcement, it being caused by the reaction of calcium
hydroxide (CaCO3) with the carbon dioxide (CO2)
present in the atmosphere and in the presence of
moisture. First, CO2 reacts with the moisture to form
carbonic acid, which then reacts with Ca(OH)2 to form
calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Along with other
decomposed cement compounds, the process of
carbonation results in a volumetric contraction or
carbonation shrinkage.
Structure of hardened cement paste
Mechanism of shrinkage
In a drying environment where a relative humidity gradient
exists between the concrete and surrounding air, moisture
(free water) is initially lost from the larger capillaries and
little or no change in volume or shrinkage occurs. However,
this creates an internal humidity gradient so that to
maintain hygral equilibrium adsorbed water is transferred
from the gel pores and, in turn, interlayers water, may be
transferred to the larger capillaries. The process results in a
reduction in volume of the C–S–H caused by induced
balancing compression in the C–S–H solid skeleton by the
capillary tension set up by the increasing curvature of the
capillary menisci.
Mechanism of shrinkage
This is known as the capillary tension theory. At lower
relative humidity, the change in surface energy of the C–S–
H as firmly held adsorbed water molecules are removed is
thought to be responsible for the reduction in volume or
shrinkage. Another theory is that of disjoining pressure,
which occurs in areas of hindered adsorption (interlayer
water); removal of this water causes a reduction in
pressure and, hence, a reduction in volume.
The foregoing theories apply to reversible behaviour and
shrinkage is not fully reversible, probably because
additional bonds are formed during the process of drying.
Moreover, carbonation shrinkage can occur, which
prevents ingress of water on re-wetting.
Measurement of shrinkage
Shrinkage of concrete is normally measured at the same
time as creep using identical control test specimens. It is
recorded as a linear contraction since the real volumetric
shrinkage is approximately three times the linear shrinkage.
The specimens can readily be sealed to determine
autogenous shrinkage, drying shrinkage or partly sealed to
simulate the effect of size of member.
Factors affecting shrinkage
Shrinkage of concrete is affected by several factors, the
most important being the aggregate, which restrains the
shrinkage of the hardened cement paste. The influence is
quantified as follows:
Sc = Sp[1 – a]n
where Sc = shrinkage of concrete, Sp = shrinkage of
cement paste, a = aggregate volumetric content (fine +
coarse) and n = constant for mixes of constant
water/cement ratio ≈ 2Ea÷[Ea + Ec], Ea = elastic modulus of
the aggregate and Ec = elastic modulus of the concrete.
Factors affecting shrinkage
 The greater the volume of aggregate, the lower the
shrinkage. For example, increasing the aggregate
content from 71 per cent to 74 per cent will reduce the
shrinkage by about 20 per cent.
 Also, the stiffer the aggregate (high Ea), the lower the
shrinkage of concrete. Thus, lightweight concrete has a
higher shrinkage than normal weight concrete.
 Aggregate grading hardly affects shrinkage of concrete.
 At a constant water/cement ratio, larger aggregate
permits the use of a leaner mix (more aggregate by
volume), so that larger aggregate leads to a lower
shrinkage.
Factors affecting shrinkage
 Factors affecting shrinkage
 The lower the relative humidity the greater the shrinkage
because the higher relative humidity gradient between
the concrete and the environment promotes a greater
loss of water. The effect is demonstrated in Figure
below. The same figure shows that swelling of concrete
stored in water (100 per cent relative humidity) is about
six times smaller than shrinkage in air at 70 per cent
relative humidity.
 Clearly, the time of drying is a factor in shrinkage as it
takes place over a long period of time with a high initial
rate of shrinkage that decreases rapidly. Typically, as a
proportion of 20-year shrinkage: 20 per cent occurs in 2
weeks, 60 per cent occurs in 3 months and 75 per cent
occurs in 1 year.
Factors affecting shrinkage
Factors affecting shrinkage
 Since drying results from evaporation of water from the
surface of a concrete member, the size of the member is
a factor in shrinkage. Members having a large cross-
sectional area undergo less shrinkage than those with a
small cross-sectional area because it is more difficult for
water to escape from the former.
Factors affecting shrinkage
Prediction of shrinkage
Shrinkage and swelling of plain concrete after periods of
exposure of six months and 30 years are given in BS 8110:
Part 2 (1985). Alternatively, the CEB-FIP method (1990)
gives shrinkage as a function of time and is applicable to
concrete containing some admixtures. The BS method is
shown in Figure below and applies to concrete made with
high-quality normal weight and non-shrinking aggregates,
with an initial water content of 8 per cent of the original
mass of concrete. For other water contents, the shrinkage
shown in Figure is adjusted in proportion to the actual
water content.
Prediction of shrinkage
Shrinkage estimated by these methods is not very accurate
(±30 per cent at best) and, for better estimates, Neville and
Brooks (2001) recommend a short-term test using
specimens made from the actual concrete, and then the
measured shrinkage-time values extrapolated to obtain
long-term shrinkage.
Prediction of shrinkage
Effects of drying shrinkage
In normal concrete structures drying shrinkage can be as
high as 600 × 10–6 which is about six times as high as the
failure strain in tension. Consequently, if shrinkage is
restrained cracking can occur. Cracks can be induced by
internal or external restraint, for example, in the surface by
the inner core concrete or by reinforcement. Foundations
can externally restrain concrete. The actual tensile stress
developed depends on creep, which is beneficial as it
relieves the elastic stress induced by restraint. The next
Figure demonstrates the schematic pattern of crack
development due to restrained shrinkage.
Effects of drying shrinkage
Effects of drying shrinkage
Shrinkage also causes a loss of prestress in prestressed
concrete, and increases deflections of asymmetrically
reinforced concrete. In high-strength or high-
performance concrete, autogenous shrinkage may be
greater than drying shrinkage but the majority occurs
early in the life of concrete. To avoid undesirable effects,
it may be possible to delay construction operations until
after most autogenous shrinkage has occurred.