Effects of shrinkage reducing admixture and wollastonite microfiber on early-age behavior of ultra-high performance concrete

In this study, the effect of incorporating shrinkage reducing admixtures (SRA) and/or wollastonite microfibers on the early-age shrinkage behavior and cracking potential of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) was explored. Wollastonite microfibers were added at rates of 0%, 4% and 12% as partial volume replacement for cement, while SRA was added at 1% and 2% by cement weight. Results show that the reinforcing effect induced by wollastonite microfibers mitigated the reduction in compressive strength induced by SRA. Addition of wollastonite microfibers to SRA mixtures did not impart a significant change in the measured free shrinkage strain, while it enhanced the cracking resistance compared to that of mixtures incorporating SRA alone. Moreover, adding wollastonite microfibers reduced the leaching of SRA from concrete under submerged conditions, thus leading to higher efficiency of SRA in reducing shrinkage. Partially replacing cement with natural wollastonite microfibers also leads to a reduction in the cement factor, which represents economic and environmental benefits. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.