Volume Stability and Mechanical Property of Hardened Cement Paste under the First Drying: Effects of Water-to-Cement Ratio and Cement Type
Source abstract
Abstract
We investigated eight hardened cement paste (HCP) mixtures with different water-to-cement ratios (W/C) and cement types (C3S/C2S ratio and Blaine fineness). We systematically measured pore structure evolution, C–S–H surface properties, mass and length changes, bending strength, and Young's modulus during the first drying. The strength and Young’s modulus exhibited a two-stage response, decreasing over 95%–40% relative humidity (RH) and increasing again over 40%–11% RH. Based on the Griffith–Irwin energy balance, the strength decrease in the 95%–40% RH range was accurately reproduced using only the changes in surface free energy and porosity. In contrast, in the 40%–11% RH range, C3S-rich, high–W/C systems showed pronounced hardening of the HCP skeleton, accompanied by a corresponding increase in strength. For drying shrinkage, we quantitatively demonstrated that different mechanisms dominate in the 100%–40% RH and 40%–11% RH ranges using a model that incorporates the low-density/high-density C–S–H volume fractions and the water-vapor BET specific surface area per unit HCP volume. These results provide a unified microstructural basis for understanding the coupled evolution of volume stability and mechanical properties of HCP during the first drying process.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Concrete Properties and Behavior · Innovations in Concrete and Construction Materials · Concrete and Cement Materials Research
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
School of Engineering, University of Phayao, Tambon Maeka, Amphoe Mueang, Phayao, 56000, Thailand.
Building Construction and Materials Group, Kajima Technical Research Institute, Tobitakyu, Chofu-shi, Tokyo 182-0036, Japan.
University Museum and Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan.
Research Center for Green X-Tech, Tohoku University, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan.
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