Numerical simulation of autogenous shrinkage in high-performance cement paste based on a multi-component hydration model

Abstract

Autogenous shrinkage is the term for the bulk deformation of a closed, isothermal, cement-based material system not subjected to external forces. It is associated with the internal volume reduction of cement/water mixture in the course of the hydration process. However, addition of blended components to cement, especially such as fly ash or silica fume, for the high-performance concrete will lead to a densification of the microstructure. The autogenous shrinkage deformation will increase and the following autogenous shrinkage crack will do harm to durability of concrete structure. In this paper, numerical simulation is suggested to predict autogenous shrinkage of high performance cement paste. The simulation is originated from a multi-component hydration model. The numerical program considers the influence of water to cement ratio, curing temperature, particle size distribution, cement mineral components on hydration process and autogenous shrinkage. The prediction result agrees well with experiment result.