Three-dimensional characterization of the pore structure of a simulated cement paste

Characterization of the pore structure of cement paste is of fundamental importance for understanding the mechanical and transport properties of cementitious materials. The influence of cement particle size distribution on the hydraulic radius and on the connectivity of the capillary pore space of hydrated tricalcium silicate (C3S), simulated by an "integrated particle kinetics model" was studied previously. In this article, the pore size distribution of a simulated cement paste is determined by applying two different techniques: a two-dimensional numerical mercury intrusion technique and a morphological thinning and partitioning of void space technique. The results are discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.