3.2.4 Factors Affecting Autogenous Shrinkage
Important factors that affect autogenous shrinkage of concrete are hydration reaction, water to cement ratio and pore structures.
If the rate and the degree of hydration reaction is large, autogenous shrinkage will occur with higher rate and higher value, respectively. So, autogenous shrinkage becomes larger at higher temperature or when using high early strength cement, etc.
Lower water to cement ratio, causing lower permeability and smaller capillary pores, results in larger autogenous shrinkage.
Smaller and more discontinuous pores lead to larger autogenous shrinkage due to higher capillary tension in the capillary tension in the capillary pores.
Various parameters affecting autogenous shrinkage of pastes have been systemically studied. The explanations of the studied results are given as follows.
1) Effect of chemical Composition of Cement
2) Effect of Fineness of Cement
Finer cement causes larger autogenous shrinkage. This is because the high fineness influences the hydration reaction with a consequence of increased early shrinkage. High fineness also makes capillary pores finer.
3) Effect of Water to Binder Ratio
It is clear from Fig.3.11 and Fig.3.12 that autogenous shrinkage is larger when water to binder ratio of the pastes becomes smaller. Both cement pastes and pastes with fly ash show the same tendency. This is because smaller amount water used for mixing results in less amount of and smaller capillary voids, leading to the increase of capillary tension and autogenous shrinkage.
4) Effect of Chemical Composition of Fly Ash
Fly ash is confirmed to be effective for reducing autogenous shrinkage. It was reported3.8), 3.9) that fly ash with higher SO3 content was more effective to reduce autogenous shrinkage. The effectiveness is possibly due to the early formation of ettringite that is generally recognized to be the cause of the chemical expansion in fly ash cement paste. As a result, autogenous shrinkage in fly ash cement paste is compensated by the chemical expansion.
5) Effect of Fly Ash Content
Replacing larger amount of cement with fly ash in the mixtures reduces more efficiently the autogenous shrinkage.
6) Effect of Curing Temperature
Concrete cured at a higher curing temperature with a lower porosity at early age develops larger autogenous shrinkage initially.
7) Effect of Aggregate Content
Higher volume concentration of aggregates reduces more shrinkage.
8) Effect of Maximum Size of Coarse Aggregate
Coarse aggregate with large maximum size reduces shrinkage in concrete more effectively than aggregate with small maximum size does.
3.2.5 Recommended Methods to Reduce Autogenous Shrinkage
Some solutions are listed below
1) Using fly ash. Fly ash is effective in reducing autogenous shrinkage. Fly ash with higher SO3 content seems to have better performance, however, the SO3 content of fly ash should not be too much since it may contribute to a long term volume stability problem such as problem due to delayed ettringite formation.
2) Use of expansive agent to compensate the shrinkage.
3) Use low C3A but high C2S cements such as type 2 or type 4 cement.
4) Avoid using concrete with too low water to binder ratio or too large paste volume.