Fractal characterization of pore system evolution in cementitious materials

The porous microstructure of cementitious materials can be examined using the fractal approach. The aim of our study is to make an evaluation of the fractal characteristics of pore size distributions of cementitious materials measured by the mercury intrusion porosimetry technique. The cement paste, mortar, and concrete specimens were mixed with various water-cement ratios and curing ages. The fractal characteristics of these materials were examined through fractal models for the pore size distribution, and were represented by only one physical parameter, namely-the fractal dimension. The results illustrate that cementitious materials are porous fractal structure. Five different calculation models of the fractal dimensions were developed. Overall, the modeled fractal dimension values were consistent. A final discussion on the relationship between the modeled values and the evolution of the pore structure was presented.