TY - JOUR
T1 - Permeability of cementitious materials using a multiscale pore network model
AU - Babaei, Saeid
AU - Seetharam, Suresh
AU - Dizier, Arnaud
AU - Steenackers, Gunther
AU - Craeye, Christophe
N1 - Score=10
PY - 2021/12/20
Y1 - 2021/12/20
N2 - This paper presents a new multiscale pore network modelling framework for predicting saturated and unsaturated permeability of OPC-based cementitious materials using a novel algorithmic implementation. The framework fundamentally relies on the data on cement composition and current understanding of cement hydration kinetics and microstructural features. Central to the modelling framework is the ability to numerically estimate pore size distribution (PSD) from existing models and the ability to obtain snapshots of unsaturated microstructure for various degrees of saturation. The framework is an amalgamation of three important existing models: (i) particle packing model for predicting nanoscale PSD, (ii) cement hydration kinetics to estimate microscale PSD, and (iii) a pore network model to estimate the permeability. The proposed pore network modelling is validated against an extensive set of experimental data that includes a very wide range of materials. The predicted intrinsic permeability falls well within the accepted experimental range. Though fewer experimental data are available to compare, the predicted unsaturated permeability shows highly promising results.
AB - This paper presents a new multiscale pore network modelling framework for predicting saturated and unsaturated permeability of OPC-based cementitious materials using a novel algorithmic implementation. The framework fundamentally relies on the data on cement composition and current understanding of cement hydration kinetics and microstructural features. Central to the modelling framework is the ability to numerically estimate pore size distribution (PSD) from existing models and the ability to obtain snapshots of unsaturated microstructure for various degrees of saturation. The framework is an amalgamation of three important existing models: (i) particle packing model for predicting nanoscale PSD, (ii) cement hydration kinetics to estimate microscale PSD, and (iii) a pore network model to estimate the permeability. The proposed pore network modelling is validated against an extensive set of experimental data that includes a very wide range of materials. The predicted intrinsic permeability falls well within the accepted experimental range. Though fewer experimental data are available to compare, the predicted unsaturated permeability shows highly promising results.
KW - Cementitious materials
KW - Permeability
KW - Multiscale modelling
KW - Pore network modelling
KW - Cement paste
UR - https://ecm.sckcen.be/OTCS/llisapi.dll/open/48440287
U2 - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.125298
DO - 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.125298
M3 - Article
SN - 0950-0618
VL - 312
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Construction and Building Materials
JF - Construction and Building Materials
M1 - 125298
ER -