Experimental investigation of creep and shrinkage of reinforced concrete with influence of reinforcement ratio

Predictions about shrinkage and creep of concrete are very important for evaluating time-dependent effects on structural performance. Some prediction models and formulas of concrete shrinkage and creep have been proposed with diversity. However, the influence of reinforcement ratio on shrinkage and creep of concrete has been ignored in most prediction models and formulas. In this paper, the concrete shrinkage and creep with different ratios of reinforcement were studied. Firstly, the shrinkage performance was tested by the 10 reinforced concrete beams specimens with different reinforcement ratios for 200 days. Meanwhile, the creep performance was tested by the 5 reinforced concrete beams specimens with different ratios of reinforcement under sustained load for 200 days. Then, the test results were compared with the prediction models and formulas of CEB-FIP 90, ACI 209, GL 2000 and JTG D 62-2004. At last, based on ACI 209, an improved prediction models and formulas of concrete shrinkage and creep considering reinforcement ratio was derived. The results from improved prediction models and formulas of concrete shrinkage and creep are in good agreement with the experimental results.