A review on the influence of shrinkage reducing admixtures on concrete

Shrinkage cracking is a common source of distress in concrete structures. In addition to being unsightly, these cracks serve to accelerate other forms of damage in concrete, thereby shortening the service life of structures. One solution to reduce the potential for shrinkage cracking is to incorporate a shrinkage reducing admixture (SRA) in concrete mixtures. SRAs belong to a special type of organic chemicals (i.e., surfactants) that when mixed in water, reduce the surface tension of the liquid, and thereby reduce the magnitude of capillary stresses and shrinkage strains that occur when concrete is losing moisture. Various studies show that SRAs have proven to reduce drying, autogenous, and plastic shrinkage, which has been summarized in this literature. Keywords—Shrinkage Reducing Admixtures, Surfactants, Drying shrinkage, Plastic shrinkage, Autogenous shrinkage.