Early-age evolution of compressive strength of cement pastes, mortars, and concretes: a validated engineering mechanical model

0495381 - ÚTAM 2019 RIV HR eng A - Abstract
Königsberger, M. - Hlobil, Michal - Delsaute, B. - Staquet, S. - Hellmich, C. - Pichler, B.
Early-age evolution of compressive strength of cement pastes, mortars, and concretes: a validated engineering mechanical model.
9th ICCSM. 9th International Congress of Croatian Society of Mechanics. Book of abstracts. Zagreb: Croatian Society of Mechanics, 2018 - (Marović, P.; Krstulović-Opara, L.; Galić, M.). s. 58-58. ISSN 2584-7716.
[International Congress of Croatian Society of Mechanics /9./. 18.09.2018-22.09.2018, Split]
Institutional support: RVO:68378297
Keywords : compressive strength * micromechanics * cement paste * concrete * modeling
OECD category: Materials engineering

Since the pioneering developments of Féret (1892) and Abrams (1919), cement and concrete research has aimed at relating the composition and maturity of cementitious material to their uniaxial compressive strength. These research activities were mainly related to the development of empirical fitting functions. Herein, a more fundamental approach based on continuum micromechanics is presented [1]. The macroscopic loading applied onto a specimen of concrete or mortar, is first translated into stress peaks related to cement paste volumes located in the interfacial transition zones (ITZ) around the aggregates. These stress states are further translated into stress peaks related to microscopic hydrate needles, based on second-order stress averages. These effective stresses of the hydrate needles enter a Drucker-Prager failure criterion with material constants quantified based on nanoindentation tests into low-density calcium-silicate-hydrates. Predictions of the engineering mechanics model agree well with macroscopic strength measurements referring to the material scales of cement pastes, mortars, and concretes.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0288690