Experimentally validated meso-scale fracture modelling of mortar using output from micromechanical models

This paper presents a validation process of the developed multi-scale modelling scheme on mortar composites. Special attention was paid to make the material structure of real and virtual mortar specimens comparable at the meso-scale. The input mechanical parameters of cement paste (both bulk cement paste and interfacial transition zone) at the...

Experimentally validated multi-scale fracture modelling scheme of cementitious materials

Cementitious materials are heterogeneous on mutliple length scales, from nanometres to metres. Consequently, their macroscopic mechanical properties are affected by material structures at all length scales. In pursuit of fundamental understanding the relationship between their multiscale heterogeneous material structure and mechanical properties...

Influence of moisture condition on chloride diffusion in partially saturated ordinary Portland cement mortar

Experiments have been carried out to study the influence of moisture condition, including moisture content and its distribution, on the chloride diffusion in partially saturated ordinary Portland cement mortar. The mortar samples with water-to-cement (w/c) ratios of 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6, cured for 1 year, were preconditioned to uniform water...

Experimental study of chloride diffusivity in unsaturated ordinary Portland cement mortar

Experiments are carried out to investigate the chloride diffusivity in partially saturated ordinary Portland cement mortars with water-to-cement (w/c) ratios of 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6. Based on resistivity measurement and Nernst-Einstein equation, the chloride diffusivities of cement mortars at various water saturations are estimated. The pore...