Solid State Phenomena Submitted: 2015-10-25

ISSN: 1662-9779, Vol. 249, pp 125-130 Revised: 2016-01-07

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.249.125 Accepted: 2016-01-08
© 2016 Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland Online: 2016-04-25

New Model for Concrete Creep and Shrinkage Prediction and its
Application
KOLÍNSKÝ Vojtěch1, a * and VÍTEK Jan L.2,b
1
CTU in Prague, Thákurova 7, 166 29 Praha 6, Czech Republic
2
Metrostav a.s., Koželužská 2450/4, 180 00 Praha 8, and CTU in Prague, Czech Republic
a
vojtech.kolinsky@fsv.cvut.cz, bvitek@metrostav.cz

Keywords: creep and shrinkage, numerical model, admixtures, high-strength concrete.

Abstract. At the beginning of this year prof. Z. P. Bažant and his team published a new numerical
model for predicting creep and shrinkage in concrete structures. Model, named B4, is conceptually
based on the previous version B3. While early prediction models were based mostly on classical
concrete composition, the new model allows for observation the variability of modern concrete
compositions, i.e. the effects of admixtures, various aggregate types and increasing concrete
strength. The model also captures the effects of environment temperature, multi-decade prediction
and autogenous shrinkage. This is important for concretes that are produced in Czech Republic and
have higher, but not high strength (about 50 MPa). The model also allows determining internal
parameters according to experimental measurements on laboratory specimens or structural
members. Therefore it is possible to refine the prediction of the behaviour of structures made of this
concrete in the long time periods. However, the increased number of input parameters leads to a
higher complexity and it is necessary to have computational tools for practical model application.
To provide the model to wider engineering community open structure computational program (in
MATLAB environment [1]) was created. Software is freely available for download on the internet.
Description of the innovations of the model B4 and demonstration of its relatively simple
applications using newly developed software products is a subject of this paper.

Introduction
The new prediction model for concrete creep and shrinkage, named B4 [2], is the fourth in a series
of models that have been developed under the guidance of prof. Z. P. Bažant at the Northwestern
University (USA) [3,4]. It builds on the same theoretical physical background as previous model B3
[3,5]. All formulas and parameters have been revised and refined (supplemented with some new
equations) based on extensive statistical optimization of a new extensive database of laboratory
tests [6,7]. For more accurate prediction of creep for a very long load periods, the model has been
calibrated according to the results of long-term measurements on bridges worldwide [7,8]. The most
important innovations, that model B4 offers, reflect to the continuously advancing concrete
technology. Using much wider database of laboratory tests, than the previous model calibration, has
facilitated an extension of the model for calculation of autogenous and drying shrinkage and
establishment of the new relations and parameters that comprise the influence of various admixtures
and aggregate types.

New possibilities of the model B4 with regard to concrete technology

Effect of Temperature. To capture the effect of environmental temperature on creep, shrinkage
and the aging rates, new function / the concept of equivalent times was introduced in the B4 model.
These modified times are determined separately for the shrinkage and creep, or for the aging,
causing acceleration or deceleration of the process by factor βT with respect to its activation energy
U (normalized by gas constant R) and the environmental temperature T (in general, see Eq. 1). The
result is a horizontal shift of the curves of creep and shrinkage in the logarithmic scale.

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126 Proceedings from 22nd Czech Concrete Day 2015

(1)

As seen from the equation, the basic temperature at which no adjustment of equivalent time
occurs is 20°C. Possible temperatures ranges are during curing from 20 to 30°C (calculation of the
curing period) and after curing -25 to 75°C (calculation of other time parameters).
Autogenous Shrinkage. For normal strength concrete with a high water-cement ratio (w/c in B4
model) autogenous shrinkage is usually relatively small and can be neglected. For higher strength
concrete with low water-cement ratio and modern cements the values of autogenous shrinkage have
already become significant. Therefore in the new model B4, that is applicable up to a cylindrical
concrete strength of 70 MPa, calculation of total shrinkage is divided into the sum of autogenous
shrinkage and drying shrinkage (Eq. 2).

(2)

The size of autogenous shrinkage depends on equivalent times, water cement ratio (w/c),
aggregate cement ratio (a/c), type of cement, type of aggregate and optionally on the influence of
concrete admixtures. Detailed description of the equations and parameters is to be found in [2].
Effects of Admixtures and Aggregate Types. For various values of the content of admixtures
(or admixtures combinations) coefficients which multiply some internal parameters of the model
were empirically derived and tabulated based on laboratory tests. All admixture quantities are
entered in percentage of cement weight. Laboratory data for statistical evaluation of parameter
scaling factors were sufficient for these admixtures: retarder (Re), fly ash (Fly), superplasticizer
(Super), silica fume (Silica), air entraining agent (AEA) and water reducer (WR). When calculating
shrinkage, it is also possible to consider a combination of these admixtures: Re and Fly, Fly and
Super, Super and Silica, and when calculating creep, then a combination of Re and Fly.
For six types of aggregates (diabase, quartzite, limestone, sandstone, granite, quartzdiorit)
correction factors for shrinkage were further evaluated. The various types of aggregates are
additionally characterized by the range of their Young´s modulus and density.

Computational tools for the application of the model B4

Data Software B4calc. For simple usage of the model B4, an open structure software (B4calc)
was created. The software allows for the input parameters of the material and environment, and
selected combinations of age and duration of the load easily and transparently retrieve the resulting
values of compliance function and the relative deformation from shrinkage.
The program is created in MATLAB environment and it is distributed in two versions. The first,
as an open program, consisting of a source code (files with ending .m), suitable for MATLAB users.
It allows them to use implementation of the new model in their own program or function, or even to
modify the source code for further use. Main file has the same name as the whole software B4calc.
It is used for selecting and loading the input spreadsheet file, executing subroutines of the model
implementation and writing the results. Computing core of the software is formed by a pair of
functions B4par.m (from input material values evaluates internal model parameters) and B4cas.m
(from the internal model parameters and selected times calculates compliance function values and
size of the strain caused by shrinkage).
The second version, designed for users not interested in program details or model structure,
consists of one compiled executable file B4calc.exe. To use the second version there is no need to
have the MATLAB software installed, just simply install freely downloadable library Matlab
Compiler Runtime (MCR) [9] - see the readme.txt file.
 Solid State Phenomena Vol. 249 127

Directions for use:

1. Enter the input values – fill in the appropriate places in the input MS Excel spreadsheet file.
Input data: composition of the concrete mix, environmental parameters, cross-sectional
shape and times of loading start and duration (or the age of the concrete).
2. Run script B4calc.m (for MATLAB users) or run the program B4calc.exe (compiled version
users) and select the completed input file.
3. After the calculation, results are saved in MS Excel spreadsheet in the newly created
directory results.
Creep Design Aid Software Improvement. Creep Design Aid software (CDA) [10] was created
by Dr. K. Kim and prof. Z. P. Bažant in order to facilitate the practical application of models for
creep and shrinkage. In the original version of CDA only the model B3 was implemented. The
program has a graphical user interface (GUI) and evaluates and displays graphs of the compliance
function and the relative shrinkage deformations or other derived functions (e.g. relaxation function,
creep coefficient etc). For some plots comparing the outputs with regard to environmental humidity
and the structure thickness can be selected. Furthermore, the program offers an opportunity to
evaluate confidence limits using the Latin Hypercube Sampling method and to update the model
parameters of shrinkage and creep on the basis of short-term tests.
For the new model B4 all the current functionality of the program has been updated and as a new
feature the ability to evaluate, monitor and compare the graphs of total and autogenous shrinkage
has been added. All the included software functions and directions for use are given in the
description of the original version [10]. There is also hinted the possibility of modifying the
program for other material models by substitution of appropriate model functions (basic compliance
- Jbasic, drying compliance - Jdrying and strain from shrinking - shrinkage). The authors, however,
decided not to replace these functions, but to use the source codes of the previously created B4calc
program and to add the new model to complement the program. Therefore the GUI has been
slightly modified and a possibility of switching between the creep and shrinkage models was added,
so that the new version is usable for the original model B3 and the new B4 model (Fig. 3). The
structure of the software subroutines (MATLAB functions), including the model B4 implementation
is thus the same as in the B4calc software.

Fig. 2 Graphical user interface of improved version of CDA software –– indicated calculation of
autogenous shrinkage, top left switching of material models
128 Proceedings from 22nd Czech Concrete Day 2015

Examples of the model application and a comparison with experiment

To demonstrate the application of the model B4 a shrinkage curves comparison has been made. This
was chosen especially because of the innovation in the prediction of autogenous shrinkage. The data
measured by TBG Metrostav Ltd. were used. The set of experiments involved 10 different
specimens of 6 mixtures of fibre reinforced concrete in total. All the mixtures were classified as
concrete C 40/50 (actual strength at 28 days reached from 44.6 to 60.3 MPa, which is within the
usual statistical scatter) and each of them varied in quantity of the polypropylene fibres, curing
method or applying other additives (crystallisation). Shrinkage was measured on standard cylinders
(size 150/300 mm), from casting until 365 days (or 90 days for a mixture of 6 cylinders cured in
water). Since there was used a superplasticizer in all mixtures, it was also considered in the model
calculation (superplasticizer Super ≥ 5%).
Individual test sequences and the corresponding prediction of total and autogenous shrinkage are
in the following graphs (Fig. 3-5). Because the influence of fibres cannot be captured in the B4
model, the shrinkage prediction curve is same for identical mixtures with different amounts of
fibres’ (Fig. 4). The correspondence between the model and the experiment is at the first glance
very good. Only a single sample of mixture no. 2 significantly differs (but relative to the other
curves it looks like a measurement error), and shrinkage it is a slightly overestimated for the
mixture no. 6 (Fig. 6), where the influence of environmental humidity was examined. Due to curing
the specimen in water, it was de facto isolated the influence of autogenous shrinkage. Unfortunately
shrinkage has been measured only for 90 days in this case.

Fig. 3 Comparison of experimental and calculated shrinkage curves – fibre concrete C40/50,
mixtures 1-3 – different amount of fibres
 Solid State Phenomena Vol. 249 129

Fig. 4 Comparison of experimental and calculated shrinkage curves – fibre concrete C40/50, with
crystallization admixture

Fig. 5 Comparison of experimental and calculated shrinkage curves – fibre concrete C40/50, curing
effect – dry environment and storage in water

For a deeper evaluation of model relevancy it would be of course necessary to carry out an
extensive experimental and statistical analysis. However, this article is focused on a demonstration
of the new model innovations and a simple model application. Even so, the agreement between the
calculation using the shrinkage model B4 and the experiments is very high.
130 Proceedings from 22nd Czech Concrete Day 2015

Conclusion
Two software products that simplify application of the new concrete creep and shrinkage prediction
model B4 were presented. A simple comparison of shrinkage strains predicted by the B4 model and
measured data on selected concrete mixes, showed a reasonable agreement. The source codes of
both discussed programs and compiled executable versions are freely available on the author´s
website on the server of Department of Concrete and Masonry Structures, Faculty of Civil
Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague:
http://people.fsv.cvut.cz/www/kolinvoj/Veda.html.

Acknowledgment
The support from the Technological Agency of the Czech Republic, research centre CESTI (project
no. TE01020168) is gratefully acknowledged. Authors would also like to thank prof. Z. P. Bažant
for his valuable advice and recommendations during CDA software improvement, Dr. K. Kim for
providing the software original version source code and TBG Metrostav, Ltd. for providing
shrinkage experimental data.

Reference
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