Interface Microstructure–Based Mechanical Property Evaluation of C-S-H
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 2
Abstract
The grain–grain interface of cement, which is composed of the complex needle-shaped microstructure of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), is crucial in the development of the mechanical properties of cementitious composites. These C-S-H needles grow radially outward from the grain surface. This work proposes a combined experimental and modeling approach to incorporate the finer details of these needle geometries and the distribution of mechanical properties in an interface-based multiscale mechanical model for hydrating tricalcium silicate (). At micrometer and sub-micrometer length scales (), electron microscopy images revealed that the geometrical nature of these needles at the grain interface varies with days of hydration. The mechanical properties of C-S-H at the nanoscale were observed to be higher at the inner core and reduced toward the outer product. The model developed can incorporate the details of these needle microstructures and their mechanical properties at the microscale and can predict the bulk properties of hydrated at higher scales.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely thank Dr. Saptarshi Sasmal and S. Gautham, Structural Engineering Research Centre, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chennai of for their valuable discussions and inputs. The authors also acknowledge the support from Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), India for the financial support through Project No. SB/S3/CEE/017/2015.
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Received: Oct 16, 2021
Accepted: May 16, 2022
Published online: Nov 30, 2022
Published in print: Feb 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Apr 30, 2023
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