T-IL Cement and Drying Shrinkage
Did you know that using blended and blended-limestone cement does not necessarily increase drying shrinkage and cracking?
There’s a common misconception that adding limestone to cement increases the risk of drying shrinkage and cracking.
However, drying shrinkage of concrete is primarily governed by the water-to-cementitious ratio, paste volume, and curing practices – not the presence of limestone.
|
CSA A23.1 (ASTM C157) Drying Shrinkage (2009 Field Data, w/cm = 0.40) |
||||||
| Length Change (%) | GU 100% | GUL –10
100% |
GUL-15
100% |
GU 70%
Slag 30% |
GUL-10 70%
Slag 30% |
GUL-15 70%
Slag 30% |
| 28 days | 0.036 | 0.037 | 0.037 | 0.026 | 0.027 | 0.025 |
| 1 year | 0.069 | 0.061 | 0.062 | 0.058 | 0.052 | 0.053 |
| 2 years | 0.067 | 0.068 | 0.065 | 0.062 | 0.060 | 0.067 |
Studies show that well-optimised T-IL cements with proper concrete mix designs and curing perform comparable to OPC in terms of shrinkage, and better when leveraging the synergistic benefits of SCMs.
How we Can Help
Our performance enhancing grinding additives and technical support help producers:
- Optimise particle size distribution
- Improve workability
- Maintain strength and durability performance
References
- PCA R&D SN3148 – https://www.cement.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2024-SN3148.03.pdf
- Technical introduction to portland-limestone cement for municipal and provincial construction specifications – https://cement.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Final-PLC-Technical-Summary-Report-2.0.pdf
