“… - In agreement with previous results, 5 LOI measurements were found in this study to be a reliable indication of degree of hydration for w/c ≥0.35 cement pastes, consistent with measured developments of compressive strength and heat of hydration. However, for w/c =0.25 cement pastes and particularly for 40°C curing, the non‐evaporable water content per unit hydration appears to increase with time 19,20 . Under higher temperature curing conditions, LOI‐interpreted degrees of hydration should not be used for cement pastes with w/c ≤0.25.
- Sealed curing can result in a repercolation of the capillary porosity that was initially depercolated by hydration, because of chemical shrinkage and its accompanying self‐desiccation inducing autogenous stresses and strains on the cementitious gel‐like hydrated microstructure.
- While an increase in curing temperature from 20° to 40°C significantly accelerates cement hydration, it also produces a coarser capillary porosity system that takes longer to achieve complete depercolation in w/c =0.35 cement pastes (both in terms of required time and degree of hydration).
- In general, reasonable agreement was observed between the experimental measurements and CEMHYD3D predictions both for achieved degrees of hydration and for the volume fractions of connected capillary porosity.
- The volume fraction of connected capillary porosity created by autogenous damage under sealed curing could be effectively estimated, using the LTC measured peak height at −15°C, as was first “validated” for saturated curing conditions by comparison with the volumetric predictions of the CEMHYD3D model.
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