Modelling cement microstructure: Pixels, particles, and property prediction

During the past ten years, a comprehensive model for the three-dimensional microstructural development of cement paste during hydration has been developed and validated. The model employs a number of computational and analytical tools including cellular automata, digital image processing and reconstruction, percolation theory, and the maturity method. The model has been successfully applied to predicting the percolation and diffusion properties of cement pastes. Through a kinetics calibration, the evolution of:heat release, chemical shrinkage, and compressive strength with time have been predicted. The variation of curing temperature and availability of external curing water can also be simulated using the developed model. This paper reviews the computational tools employed in the model, summarizes the experimental and modelling approaches, and presents representative predicted properties.