Drying shrinkage is a change in the volume of a hardened concrete mixture due to the loss of moisture. Drying shrinkage testing is performed to determine the length changes of a hardened concrete mixture caused by loss of moisture. With this test, the effects of different mix designs on free shrinkage can be determined.
Why Do We Test Drying Shrinkage?
All concrete shrinks and cracks and each project has its own specifications for shrinkage requirements. Most concrete has a drying
shrinkage of .050 to .060 at 28 days, and most project specifications require less than .045 at 28 days. We test Drying Shrinkage to help our clients meet those specifications by performing mix design studies and testing dry shrinkage on each mix design being used on their projects.
How is Drying Shrinkage Testing Performed?
Molded prism specimens are fabricated from a concrete mix per section 9 of ASTM C157. The molded specimens are then cured for 23 ½ hours +- a ½ hour in a moist cabinet or room, protected from dripping water. After the initial cure, the specimens are removed from their molds and placed in Lime-saturated water at 73°+- 1° F for a minimum of 30 minutes, after 30 minutes the specimens are removed from the water and the initial comparator reading is taken immediately. After the initial reading, the specimens are stored in Lime-treated water at 73°+- 3° F for 7 days. After the 7 days, specimens are stored in a drying shrinkage room or cabinet maintaining a temperature of 73°+- 3° F and 50% +- 4% humidity for 28 days, taking a comparator reading every 7 days.
How G3 Quality Can Help Our Clients and Potential Clients
G3 Quality has two CCRL-accredited laboratories to test Drying shrinkage per ASTM C157 and ASSHTO T-160, our Cerritos Laboratory (accredited since 2015), and our Bakersfield Laboratory (accredited 2022). We plan on having our Sacramento Laboratory CCRL accredited by early 2023. If you have a project in one of those areas, please reach out to one of our project managers.
- Cerritos- Hysun Lee, 562-321-9847
- Bakersfield- Bo Brandenberg, 661-241-8450
- Sacramento- Josh Noegel, 916-546-5033
Our team is here to provide any further information you may need regarding our Laboratory Testing Services. For more information, reach out to our Laboratories Manager, Bo Dalgity by email at rdalgity@g3quality.com or by phone at 909.801.1881.
We are an elite team of engineers and professionals who provide world-class quality management, pavement engineering, materials design, construction inspection, and testing on infrastructure projects throughout California and the western United States. To learn more about how G3 Quality can contribute knowledge, expertise, consulting, and professional services to your project, click here.