EFFECT OF SAP ON THE AUTOGENOUS SHRINKAGE AND COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF HIGH-STRENGTH FINE-GRAINED CONCRETE

High-strength fine-grained concrete is subject to an intense effect of autogenous shrinkage due to the low water to-binder ratio and particle size used in this family of concrete. One of the most effective techniques to mitigate autogenous shrinkage in such material is the addition of superabsorbent polymers (SAP) to the mixture. This research aims to study the influence of three different types of SAP on autogenous shrinkage and mechanical behavior of high-performance fine-grained concrete. The autogenous shrinkage was measured since the fluid-solid transition time, determined using the ultrasonic propagation wave technique, until the age of 28 days. The results show that all types of SAP investigated reduced the autogenous shrinkage of the high-performance fine-grained concrete. The intensity of reduction ranged from 50 to 90% depending on the type and the content of SAP used. In general, the compressive strength of the reference mixture was reduced by 5-35% depending on the type and the content of SAP used.