Restrained Shrinkage Cracking of Self-Consolidating Concrete

Abstract

In this paper the properties of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) used for repair applications and prepared with two commercially available ternary blended cements and chemical admixtures such as a high-range water reducer (HRWR) and a viscosity modifying admixture (VMA) were investigated under restrained shrinkage. The examined properties include compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, static elastic modulus, free shrinkage, and restrained shrinkage. From the results, it became clear that the resistance of SCC to shrinkage crack was quite different depending on the nature of HRWR and the binder type in use. The cracking age increases in mixtures proportioned with polycarboxylate (PC)-based HRWR compared with polynaphthalene (PNS)-based HRWR. The SCC mixtures based on blended ternary cement containing Class F fly ash show shorter cracking age than the corresponding SCCs proportioned with ternary blended cement containing slag. Finally, it was found that the potential of shrinkage cracking of SCC is not influenced only by the amount of shrinkage but also by the shrinkage rate and tensile creep.