Study of Shrinkage of Concrete Using Normal Weight and Lightweight Aggregate

Abstract

Drying shrinkage can be a major cause of deterioration of concrete structures. Aggregate sizes, curing period and water-cement ratio imparts a great impact on shrinkage of concrete. This paper represents the observed effects of water-cement ratio, curing period and aggregate sizes on shrinkage of concrete using normal weight and lightweight aggregate. Structural lightweight aggregate concrete offers several benefits as compared to the normal weight concrete. This paper checks the suitability of using lightweight concrete instead of normal concrete in case of susceptibility to shrinkage. Though the cost of the production of the lightweight aggregate is high due to energy and raw material consumption, economy can be achieved by using locally available waste materials to produce lightweight aggregates. The experiments were carried out according to ASTM C157 and ASTM C490. The variations of aggregate sizes, curing period and the water-cement ratio were applied and their effects were observed on shrinkage of concrete. This paper also recommends the proper type of concrete owing to minimal shrinkage.