Enter the initial length of the concrete and the shrinkage rate into the calculator to determine the shrinkage length. This calculator helps in estimating the amount of shrinkage a concrete element will undergo due to drying and other factors.
Concrete Shrinkage Formula
The following formula is used to calculate the concrete shrinkage length.
SL = IL * (SR / 1,000,000)
Variables:
- SL is the shrinkage length (inches)
- IL is the initial length of the concrete (inches)
- SR is the shrinkage rate (microstrain)
To calculate the concrete shrinkage length, multiply the initial length of the concrete by the shrinkage rate (in microstrain) and then divide by 1,000,000 to convert microstrain to strain.
What is Concrete Shrinkage?
Concrete shrinkage is the reduction in volume of concrete as it dries and hardens. It is caused by the loss of moisture from the concrete mix, which can lead to cracking and other structural issues if not properly accounted for in the design and construction process. The shrinkage rate is typically measured in microstrain, which is a unit that represents the strain experienced by the material per unit length.
How to Calculate Concrete Shrinkage?
The following steps outline how to calculate the Concrete Shrinkage.
- First, determine the initial length of the concrete (IL) in inches.
- Next, determine the shrinkage rate (SR) in microstrain.
- Next, gather the formula from above = SL = IL * (SR / 1,000,000).
- Finally, calculate the Concrete Shrinkage Length (SL) in inches.
- After inserting the variables and calculating the result, check your answer with the calculator above.
Example Problem :
Use the following variables as an example problem to test your knowledge.
Initial length of the concrete (IL) = 120 inches
Shrinkage rate (SR) = 500 microstrain
