Analysis of microcracking formation during basic and drying creep in cementitious materials

The safety of double wall Concrete Containment Buildings (CCBs) in the French nuclear fleet primarily depends on the level of prestress applied to concrete. The delayed strains in concrete induced by creep and shrinkage cause a loss of prestress in the inner wall that may increase the risk of potential leaks in accidental conditions. The creep...

Nondestructive determination of drying deformations in cement paste by means of ESEM and digital image analysis

Novel modifications of an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) were made in order to measure the local deformations in drying cement paste. These nondestructively determined moisture-induced plane strains, obtained in 1 mm thick cement paste samples, are orthotropic. They vary with variations of relative humidity between 70%-80% and...