Numerical simulation of the early age three-dimensional microstructure development of cement pastes

Abstract

The formation process of microstructure in cement pastes was first simulated with a numerical model CEMHYD3D. The influence of water-to-cement ratio and particles size on heat release and degree of hydration were then investigated. In addition, the mass of CH and C-S-H phases simulated have been verified by measuring values by thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD)-Rietveld analysis. The evolutions of solids phase percolation and capillary pores de-percolation were also identified by means of a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model. The results show that the simulated values are in good agreement with the available experimental data, indicating a good reliability of the CEMHYD3D model. © 2014 4th International Conference on the Durability of Concrete Structures.