Desorption Experimental Analysis and Modeling of Drying Shrinkage and Relative Humidity in Non-Saturated Concrete

Abstract. The paper investigates the gradient of relative humidity over time at different depth from dried surface and the relationship between relative humidity and concrete shrinkage. It shows that a drop in relative humidity over time is remarkable, and that drying shrinkage is linearly related to humidity. By measuring the weight of the sample and calculation of the capillary pressure, the relationship between the saturation and the capillary pressure is presented. Based on the experiment and Kelvin’s law, a model of shrinkage for non-saturated concrete taking the surface energy into account is presented. A comparison of computed and observed drying shrinkage is made, finding that the two values are in agreement very well.