Mechanical Properties of Hydrated Cement Paste: Development of Structure-property Relationships

Theoretical models based on modern interpretations of the morphology and interactions of cement hydration products are developed for prediction of the mechanical properties of hydrated cement paste (hcp). The models are based on the emerging nanostructural vision of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) morphology, and account for the intermolecular interactions between nano-scale calcium C-S-H particles. The models also incorporate the effects of capillary porosity and microcracking within hydrated cement paste. The intrinsic modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of hydrated cement paste are determined based on intermolecular interactions between C-S-H nano-particles. Modeling of fracture toughness indicates that frictional pull-out of the micro-scale calcium hydroxide (CH) platelets makes major contributions to the fracture energy of hcp. A tensile strength model was developed for hcp based on the linear elastic fracture mechanics theories. The predicted theoretical models are in reasonable agreements with empirical models developed based on the experimental performance of hcp.