Autogenous shrinkage of early age cement paste and mortar

Concrete is a brittle composite material that easily fractures under tension. Due to the fact that the early-age deformation of the concrete member is restrained by adjoining structures, cracking can occur throughout the concrete prior to application of any load. The cracks would provide preferential access for aggressive agents penetrating in...

Brazil Nut Effect and CONCRETE: Entering Terra Incognita

This paper presents some evidence of the impact of the Brazil nut effect (BNE) on concrete’s particulate structure on meso-level (aggregate) as well as on micro-level (cement paste). BNE is associated with long-range size segregation in particle mixtures due to vibration in slurry state of concrete, both near boundaries and in bulk. Presented...

Particulate structure and microstructure evolution of concrete investigated by DEM: Part 1: Aggregate and binder packing

Experimental approaches in concrete technology are time-consuming, laborious and thus expensive. Developments in computer facilities render possible nowadays realistically simulating the particulate structure and microstructure of cementitious materials. For that purpose, discrete element methods (DEM) are required because of more correctly...