Microstructure-based modelling prediction of elasticity in hydrating cement paste

Abstract

Elastic behaviour of cement paste can be predicted by a coupled hydration-mechanical numerical modelling analysis, which initiates from a microstructural representative volume where the elastic behaviour of different hydrating cement products can be recognized. In this paper, the formation of the microstructural volume is simulated with the computational code HYMOSTRUC3D for cement hydration. The obtained microstructure is then used as input data for micromechanical modelling. Regular lattice and Finite Element modelling approaches are used to predict the elastic response of the microstructure, considering a water-to-cement ratio within the range of 0.30-0.50. The results from these two modelling approaches are compared to experimental results from the Elasticity Modulus Measurement through Ambient Response Method (EMM-ARM) testing technique for measuring the evolution of the elastic modulus of hydrating cement paste