A review on testing methods for autogenous shrinkage measurement of cement-based materials

Abstract

Autogenous shrinkage is an important factor for cracking of cement-based materials at early ages. This review summarizes different definitions and testing methods for autogenous shrinkage in literature. Autogenous shrinkage should be defined as the sum of chemical shrinkage and self-desiccation shrinkage. All testing methods in the literature can be divided into two categories: direct and indirect testing methods. Direct testing methods usually measure volumetric or linear dimensional changes. Indirect methods usually measure porosity or change in relative humidity of cement-based materials, which can reflect the change in autogenous shrinkage. Indirect methods need to establish correlations between autogenous shrinkage and porosity or relative humidity.