Published On Feb 21, 2023
Concrete typically shrinks as it cures (some people refer to this as drying although this is not the correct terminology). Curing, or drying, concrete loses water through the actuation process and evaporation which makes the concrete shrink. This shrinkage could cause damage to the new concrete such as cracking. This is the main reason that wet curing is recommended for freshly poured concrete as well as adding expansion joints, depending upon your concrete project.
There are a few kinds of specialized concrete that do expand when curing such as non-shrink grout and hydraulic cement. Non-shrink grout is often used to fill gaps as it does not shrink - it either stays the same volume or expands slightly giving it an anchoring ability. Hydraulic cement is often intended for water-stop applications and can be used for purposes such as filling a crack under water. It cures extremely fast, can cure under water and expands to fill gaps.
Other than highly specialized mortar and grout mixes, regular concrete and mortar does not expand but rather it shrinks as it cures.
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