Proper characterisation of pore size distribution in cementitious materials

In this paper, a mathematic morphology measurement with the name of opening operation was applied to section images for the assessment of pore size distribution in cement pastes. This method is compared with other methods for characterising pore size distribution, including the experimental technique of mercury intrusion porosimetry, the conventional image analysis by area histogram and a direct approach by a simulation model. The comparison study reveals that the so-called opening distribution technique yields realistic structural information of pore size distribution in cement pastes. The proper characterisation of pore size distribution is of significant importance to permeability prediction of cementitious materials and thereby to durability studies of the materials.