Autogenous shrinkage of early age cement paste and mortar

Concrete is a brittle composite material that easily fractures under tension. Due to the fact that the early-age deformation of the concrete member is restrained by adjoining structures, cracking can occur throughout the concrete prior to application of any load. The cracks would provide preferential access for aggressive agents penetrating in...

Autogenous Shrinkage of Cementitious materials containing BFS

In the Netherlands blast furnace slag (BFS) cement is commonly used. Concretes with this type of cement are known for good durability properties. Where concrete is designed to crack in order to let the incorporated steel reinforcement take over tensile stresses, it is mainly for durability reasons that non-designed cracking of concrete is...