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Effect of mix design on restrained shrinkage of self-consolidating concrete

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Abstract

This paper presents test results carried out to evaluate the potential due to restrained shrinkage cracking of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). The mix design approach and binder type of the SCC are shown to have considerable influence on cracking potential. Mixtures made with 0.42 w/cm and incorporating viscosity-enhancing admixture (VEA) to ensure proper stability exhibited approximately 25–35% longer time before cracking than SCC prepared with 0.35 w/cm and no VEA. The former concrete design had lower elastic modulus at 3 days when the drying shrinkage was initiated and hence greater stress relaxation. This was reflected in greater tensile creep coefficient which reduces tensile stress due to restrained shrinkage. The SCC made with 0.42 w/cm exhibited slightly higher drying shrinkage after 56 days of drying compared to similar concrete prepared with 0.35 w/cm. In general, the tested SCC mixtures had higher cracking potential than the reference high-performance and conventional concretes. This may be due to the higher paste volume of SCC that resulted in greater drying shrinkage. Mixtures with 670 mm slump flow consistency and 180 mm slump values of the same mix design had similar elapsed times before cracking of 6.3 and 5.6 days, respectively.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the industrial partners participating in the NSERC-Industry Coop Grant to develop high-performance SCC for infrastructure repair: Axim, Chryso, Ciment Québec, Ville de Montréal, Degussa, Euclid Canada, Handy Chemicals, Lafarge Canada, Québec Ministry of Transport, St. Lawrence Cement, and W. R. Grace. The assistance of Dr. Olivier Bonneau is greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Université de Sherbooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada

    Soo-Duck Hwang & Kamal H. Khayat

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  1. Soo-Duck Hwang
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  2. Kamal H. Khayat
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Correspondence to Soo-Duck Hwang.

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Hwang, SD., Khayat, K.H. Effect of mix design on restrained shrinkage of self-consolidating concrete. Mater Struct 43, 367–380 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-009-9495-x

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