...
Shrinkage
...
is
...
a
...
time-dependent
...
volumetric
...
change
...
associated
...
with
...
the
...
drying
...
and
...
moisture
...
transfer,
...
thermal
...
effects
...
and
...
gradients,
...
and
...
autogenous
...
behavior
...
(early-age
...
chemical
...
and
...
structural
...
reactions)
...
of
...
restrained
...
reinforce-concrete
...
(RC)
...
systems.
...
Shrinkage
...
may
...
cause
...
aesthetic,
...
serviceability,
...
and
...
even
...
stability
...
issues
...
with
...
the
...
onset
...
of
...
cracking,
...
curling/warping,
...
and
...
reduced
...
load-carrying
...
capacity.
...
Restraint
...
conditions
...
which
...
affect
...
shrinkage
...
behavior
...
may
...
be
...
external,
...
as
...
with
...
supports,
...
connections,
...
and
...
boundary
...
conditions,
...
or
...
internal,
...
as
...
with
...
differential
...
drying
...
and
...
reinforcement.
...
Shrinkage
...
cracking
...
is
...
mitigated
...
with
...
increased
...
amounts
...
of
...
reinforcement
...
at
...
decreased
...
spacing,
...
and
...
with
...
the
...
inclusion
...
of
...
coarse
...
aggregate
...
which
...
is
...
dense,
...
hard,
...
and
...
less
...
compressible.
...
The
...
proper
...
early-age
...
handling
...
and
...
curing
...
of
...
concrete
...
further
...
mitigates
...
shrinkage
...
while
...
enhancing
...
long-term
...
life
...
expectancy
...
and
...
structural
...
performance.
...
Shrinkage
...
and
...
other
...
time-dependent
...
material
...
behaviors,
...
including
...
...
,
...
aging,
...
and
...
...
relaxation,
...
may
...
be
...
applied
...
to
...
structural
...
objects
...
using
...
...
...
analysis.
...
Staged
...
construction
...
is
...
a
...
...
application
...
available
...
to
...
Software
...
with
...
Ultimate
...
.
...
Additional
...
information
...
may
...
be
...
found
...
in
...
the
...
...
...
...
(Staged
...
Construction,
...
page
...
396).
...
See Also
- Creep section