Study on drying shrinkage and creep of manufactured sand concrete in railway prestressed structures

Purpose Severe scarcity of natural river sand (RS), exacerbated by environmental protection policies and extraction constraints, has significantly impacted aggregate supply for railway concrete. While manufactured sand (MS) offers a substitute for RS in railway applications, its widespread adoption in high-strength railway prestressed structures is challenged by lack of drying shrinkage and creep research data on concrete. Design/methodology/approach High-strength manufactured sand concrete (MSC) was prepared using MS with varying lithologies and stone powder contents. Its drying shrinkage and creep behaviors were evaluated in accordance with the Chinese standard GB/T 50082. The deformation mechanism was analyzed by combining nano-scratch testing. Findings Compared to RS concrete, MSC from all tested lithologies showed higher drying shrinkage but lower creep deformation. The drying shrinkage rose steadily with increased stone powder content, while the creep strain displayed a distinct non-linear trend, decreasing first before rising. To prepare low-deformation MSC, select high-strength MS and limit stone powder content not greater 10%. Nano-scratch tests indicated that harder MS particles suppress microcracking at the interfacial transition zone (ITZ), improving the creep resistance. The predictive models for drying shrinkage and creep were also developed by incorporating coefficients for stone powder and lithology effects. Originality/value These findings serve as a foundation for the application of MSC in railway prestressed structures, offering both theoretical and practical guidance.