Autogenous volume change of concrete at very early age

The autogenous volume change of concrete is defined as the external volume reduction caused by cement reactions. This type of volume reduction is often suspected to be the main cause of cracking in high performance concrete at early ages. However, the mechanisms of volume change and cracking are not well understood. The aims of this article are to make a theoretical analysis of the phenomenon, to quantify the most important parameters involved in the process, and to discuss the cases for which this type of shrinkage can cause cracking.