Implication of pore structure on micro-mechanical behaviour of virtual cementitious materials

Combined experimental and numerical study of fracture behaviour of cement paste at the microlevel

“…The average simulated tensile strengths from 2D slices and 3D reconstructed sample obtained for 28-days cement paste with a w/c ratio 0.4 correspond well with values obtained in simulations by Qian (20 MPa) [12]. Obtained E modulus (around 33 GPa) is, however, significantly higher compared to his results (13 GPa, 3D simulations), but is in the range of values simulated by Le (30.878 GPa, 2D simulations) [7]. Although a wide range of experimentally obtained fracture properties are available for meso-level tests, still no data is available for comparison in microlevel tests [4].…”

“…Fracture properties of the interface and the bulk matrix (stiffness, strength and fracture energy) are then compared. A similar concept was applied by Le et al [7], but using a simulated cement paste microstructure. Subsequently, they compared the tensile damage behaviour of a numerically generated aggregate-paste interface to that of the bulk zone for different (blended) pastes.…”

“…Alternatively, a computer generated microstructure can be made by using numerical models, for example models for hydration of the cement paste. In microstructural models of cement paste, Portland cement particles are commonly simulated as spheres [6][7][8]. Recently, a step further was made with particle shape models for concrete and mortar.…”

“…Micromechanical properties are usually obtained by micro or nanoindentation testing [7,12,13]. Individual phases (unhydrated cement, CSH, CH) are indented [14][15][16], and the measured properties are distributed according to the position of individual phases in the cement paste.…”

Archives of Civil Engineering

“…In each point, large numbers of star pikes are measured. Since this is not the hard core of this paper, the interested reader is referred to details of the methodology available in [4]. This so called throat size is fed into the tube network, together with the pore length between the points.…”