CONCRETE

SHRINKAGE
Shrinkage of Concrete Shrinkage of concrete
is defined as the contraction due to loss of
moisture. Due to the shrinkage of concrete,
the prestress in the tendon is reduced with
time.
SHRINKAGE
LOSS
AS WITH CONCRETE CREEP, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE
SHRINKAGE OF CONCRETE IS AFFECTED BY SEVERAL
FACTORS. THEY INCLUDE MIXTURE PROPORTIONS, TYPE
OF AGGREGATE, TYPE OF CEMENT, CURING TIME, TIME
BETWEEN THE END OF EXTERNAL CURING AND THE
APPLICATION OF PRESTRESSING, SIZE OF THE MEMBER,
AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. SIZE AND
SHAPE OF THE MEMBER ALSO AFFECT SHRINKAGE.
APPROXIMATELY 80 PERCENT OF SHRINKAGE TAKES
PLACE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF LIFE OF THE STRUCTURE.
THE AVERAGE VALUE OF THE ULTIMATE SHRINKAGE
STRAIN IN BOTH MOIST-CURED AND STEAM-CURED
CONCRETE IS GIVEN AS 780x10-6 in./in. IN ACI 209 R-92
REPORT. THIS AVERAGE VALUE IS AFFECTED BY THE
LENGTH OF INITIAL MOIST CURING, AMBIENT RELATIVE
HUMIDITY, VOLUME-SURFACE RATIO, TEMPERATURE
AND CONCRETE COMPOSITION. TO TAKE SUCH EFFECTS
INTO ACCOUNT, THE AVERAGE VALUE OF SHRINKAGE
STRAIN SHOULD BE MULTIPLIED BY A CORRECTION
FACTOR γSH AS FOLLOWS:

ЄSH = 780 X 10-6 γSH (eq.3.12)

THE PRESTRESS CONCRETE INSTITUE STIPULATES FOR
STANDARD CONDITIONS AN AVERAGE VALUE FOR
NOMINAL ULTIMATE SHRINKAGE STRAIN
ЄSH(U) = 820 x 10 in./in. (mm./mm.). IF ЄSH IS THE
-6

SHRINKAGE STRAIN AFTER ADJUSTING FOR RELATIVE

HUMIDITY AT VOLUME TO SURFACE RATIO V/S, THE LOSS
IN PRESTRESSING IN PRETENSIONED MEMBER IS

∆fpSH = ЄSH x Eps (eq.3.13)

FOR POST-TENSIONED MEMBERS, THE LOSS IN
PRESTRESSING DUE TO SHRINKAGE IS SOMEWHAT LESS
SINCE SOME SHRINKAGE HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE
BEFORE POST-TENSIONING. IF THE REALATIVE HUMIDITY
IS TAKEN AS A PERCENT VALUE AND THE V/S RATIO
EFFECT IS CONSIDERED, THE PCI GENERAL EXPRESSION
FOR LOSS IN PRESTRESSING DUE TO SHRINKAGE
BECOMES
∆fpSH = 8.2 x 10-6 KSHEps (eq.3.14)

WHERE RH = RELATIVE HUMIDITY

VALUES OF KSH FOR POST TENSIONED MEMBERS
TIME FROM DAY DAY DAY DAY DAY DAY DAY DAY
END OF 1 3 5 7 10 20 30 60
MOIST
CURING TO
APPLICATION
OF
PRESTRESS
KSH 0.92 0.85 0.80 0.77 0.73 0.64 0.58 0.45

WHERE KSH = 1.0 FOR PRETENSIONED MEMBERS

ADJUSTMENT OF SHRINKAGE LOSSES FOR STANDARD
CONDITIONS AS A FUNCTION OF TIME t IN DAYS AFTER 7
DAYS FOR MOIST CURING AND 3 DAYS FOR STEAM
CURING CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE FOLLOWING
EXPRESSIONS
(a) MOIST CURING, AFTER 7 DAYS

(ЄSH)t = Є (eq.3.15a)

WHERE Є IS THE ULTIMATE SHRINKAGE STRAIN,

t = TIME IN DAYS AFTER SHRINKAGE IS CONSIDERED.
(b) STEAM CURING, AFTER 1 – 3 DAYS

(ЄSH)t = Є (eq.3.15b)

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT SEPARATING CREEP FROM

SHRINKAGE CALCULATIONS AS PRESENTED IN THIS
CHAPTER IS AN ACCEPTED ENGINEERING PRACTICE.
ALSO, SIGNIFICANT VARIATIONS IN THE PROPERTIES OF
THE CONSTITUENT MATERIALS FROM THE VARIOUS
SOURCES, EVEN IF THE PRODUCTS ARE PLANT-
PRODUCED SUCH AS PRE-TENSIONED BEAMS. HENCE IT
IS RECOMMENDED THAT INFORMATION FROM ACTUAL
TESTS BE OBTAINED ESPECIALLY ON MANUFACTURED
PRODUCTS, LARGE SPAN-TO-DEPTH RATIO CASES
AND/OR IF LOADING IS UNUSUALLY HEAVY.
EXAMPLE:
COMPUTE THE LOSS IN PRESTRESS DUE TO
SHRINKAGE AT 7 DAYS AFTER MOIST CURING USING
BOTH THE ULTIMATE KSH METHOD OF (eq.3.14) AND THE
TIME DEPENDENT METHOD OF (eq.3.15). ASSUME THAT
THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY RH IS 70 PERCENT AND THE
VOLUME-TO-SURFACE RATIO IS 2.0.
SOLUTION A
KSH METHOD
(a) PRETENSIONED BEAM, KSH = 1.0;
FROM (eq.3.14),
∆fpSH = 8.2 x 10-6 x 1.0 x 27 x 106
= 5845.0 psi (40.3MPa)
(b) POST TENSIONED BEAM, FROM TABLE KSH = 0.77
∆fpSH = 0.77 x 5845 = 4500.7 psi (31.0MPa)
SOLUTION B
TIME-DEPENDENT METHOD
FROM (eq.3.15a)

∆fpSH =