Invariant mechanical properties of calcium-silicate-hydrates (C-H-S) in cement-based materials : instrumented nanoindentation and microporomechanical modeling

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 455-478).Random porous solids such as bone and geomaterials exhibit a multiphase composite nature, characterized by water-filled pores of nm- to m-scale diameter. The natural synthesis and operating environments of such materials significantly alters phase composition and multiscale structural heterogeneities throughout the material lifetime, defining significant changes in macroscopic mechanical performance for applications ranging from multispan bridges to calcium-phosphate bone replacement cements. However, the nanoscale phases formed within the unique chemical environment of pores cannot be recapitulated ex situ in bulk form, and imaging of the composite microstructure is obfuscated by the size, environmental fragility, and nonconductive nature of such geomaterials and natural composites. Thus, there is an increasing drive to develop new approaches to image, quantify the mechanical contributions of, and understand the chemomechanical coupling of distinct phases in such composites. In this thesis, we utilize recent advances in experimentation namely instrumented indentation, and micromechanical modeling namely homogenization techniques, in an attempt to quantify the mutli-phase, multi-scale heterogeneity observed in all cement-based materials. We report a systematic framework for mechanically enabled imaging, measuring and modeling of structural evolution for cement based materials (CBM), porous geocomposites, at length scales on the order of constituent phase diameters (10-8 - 10-6 m), and thus identify two structurally distinct but compositionally similar phases heretofore hypothesized to exist.(cont.) The presented experimental and modeling results culminated in micromechanical models for elasticity and strength that can predict the macroscopic mechanical behavior for a range of CBM systems. The models directly correlate the changes in chemical and mechanical state to predict the experimentally observed range of macroscopic mechanical properties. This general framework is equally applicable to other man-made and natural composites, and enables accurate prediction of natural composite microstructure and mechanical performance directly from knowledge of material composition.by Georgios ConstantinidesPh.D

The elastic properties of calcium leached cement pastes and mortars : a multi-scale investigation

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2002.Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-179).Calcium leaching induced aging in concrete creates a new material with degraded macroscopic mechanical properties. Although the degradation of strength has been elaborately studied in the last decade, the degradation of elasticity has not been investigated in the same depth. This thesis presents a combined experimental-theoretical investigation of the loss of elastic modulus due to calcium leaching. The first part of this thesis describes the experimental study performed on the elastic modulus of asymptotically leached cement paste and mortar. A combined qualitative-quantitative approach is adopted to characterize and quantify the chemical degradation at various length scales. The macroscopic elasticity (10-2 - 10-4 m) is measured using three different techniques: (a) Ultrasonic Pulse Velocity, (b) Resonant Frequency, and (c) Uniaxial Compression. The microscopic effect (10-5 - 10-7 m) is quantified using state-of- the-art Nanoindentation tests. Scanning Electron Microscope images complete the characterization by providing qualitative information about the concrete microstructure and its evolution through calcium leaching. The second part of the thesis is devoted to modeling the experimentally observed material behavior. Based on a micromechanical approach, using different homogenization schemes available, the different levels of characterization are linked together by a new multiscale -model. The macroscopic values predicted by the model compare well with the values obtained experimentally. The combined experimental-theoretical approach confirms both the deleterious effects induced by calcium leaching on concrete and the capacity of the model to predict the degradation of elasticity caused at the material level.by Georgios Constantinides.S.M