Inverse Analysis Method for Concrete Shrinkage Prediction from Short-Term Tests

The accurate long-term prediction of shrinkage in concrete structures has been an important issue for a long time. Although several models for the prediction of shrinkage strains already exist, a reliable model suitable for different concretes is still needed. In this study, the total shrinkage of four different mixture designs was measured in the laboratory; subsequently, the long-term shrinkage of these concretes was predicted from the short-term measurements using the inverse analysis (IA) method applied to six existing shrinkage models. Two different mixtures from two previous studies were chosen to verify the proposed method. The results show a good agreement between the experimental measurements and the estimated values.