Towards a More Accurate Shrinkage Modeling of Lightweight and Infra-Lightweight Concrete

Abstract

Infra-lightweight concrete (ILWC) has gained importance in recent years because of its thermal insulation properties; nonetheless, the potential structural applications of these concretes are restrained because the shrinkage of these concretes is not accurately estimated by current prediction models, specifically those in ACI 209.2R-08. The aim of this study is to adjust the prediction models of this phenomenon in lightweight concretes (LWC) through the calibration of existing models by means of statistical analysis of the models included in ACI 209.2R-08 and the fib. Calibration constants and corrections for the prediction models were found for adjusting the prediction models to LWC and ILWC, achieving R2 values of 0.94 and 0.98, respectively. Based on these results, further research on how porosity, water migration, and other lightweight aggregate properties affect the evolution of shrinkage in LWC should be performed to upgrade prediction models.