The shrinkage of hardening cement paste and mortar

This paper is an abstract from the report of the commission B10: "The influence of the shrinkage of cement on the shrink-age of concrete", of the Netherlands Committee for Concrete Research. Measurements of pulse velocity, volume shrinkage and heat of hydration on hardening portland cement support the idea that the formation of ettringite is an important link in the mechanism of shrinkage in the plastic stage of cement paste and mortar. Mechanical tests on prisms of 4x4x16 cm3 gave some information about the difference in sensitivity to surface corrosion of different types of cement