Influence of shrinkage-reducing agent and polypropylene fiber on shrinkage of ceramsite concrete

This paper reports a study done on the impact of a shrinkage-reducing agent (SRA) and polypropylene fiber (PPF), individually and jointly, on ceramsite concrete (CC). The results indicate the following: (1) CC mixed with SRA alone, results in early micro-expansion increases as SRA content increases while self-shrinkage and drying shrinkage decreases. (2) CC mixed only PPF, results in early micro-expansion, self-shrinkage and drying shrinkage decreases as PPF content increases; amplitude decrease is large for early micro-expansion, but insignificant for self-shrinkage and drying-shrinkage, and shrinkage reduction is smaller compared to SRA. (3) If an SRA-PPF mix is added to CC, both contributed significantly to self-shrinkage, drying shrinkage, and reduction.