Cement & concrete composites最新文献

{"title":"Hydration-driven microstructural evolution mechanism of ternary waste-based geopolymer materials","authors":"Qingbo Liu ,&nbsp;Junchen Xiang ,&nbsp;Zhengyu Ma ,&nbsp;Linjie Liu ,&nbsp;Biqi Ren ,&nbsp;Jingping Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional alkali-activated solid-waste-based cementitious materials predominantly rely on strong industrial alkali activators, posing significant corrosion risks that cannot be overlooked and making long-term stability difficult to guarantee. In order to reveal the hydration-driven microstructure evolution mechanism behind the performance evolution of multi-source solid-waste-based cementitious materials, a micro-macro multiscale analysis framework was employed to elucidate the intrinsic connections between the microstructure characteristics and micromechanical behavior of reaction products and the development of hydration activity and long-term strength. The evolution of gel nanostructures and the molecular changes affecting overall performance are emphasized in this study. Coal gasification slag (CGS), municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWI FA), and calcium carbide residue (CCR) were successfully utilized in preparing engineered geopolymer composites (EGC) without clinker or admixtures. The Cl⁻ introduced by MSWI FA and the OH⁻ ions generated by CCR jointly regulate the hydration reaction pathway of CGS, providing a new activation pathway. The hydration kinetic, microstructural evolution, and mechanical property development of the mortar were investigated through characterization experiments. The results show that the mortar with a 10 wt% substitution rate of MSWI FA reached a compressive strength of 3.53 MPa at 90 days. The hydration reaction kinetics and structural evolution followed a compatible developmental pathway. The evolution of the Si−O tetrahedral structure and the involvement of Cl⁻ in the hydration process altered the gel structure, contributing to the formation of a denser microstructure. This enhancement in mechanical properties was accompanied by a reduction of over 70 % in carbon emissions. These results advance the technological development of utilizing CGS and MSWI FA as cementitious materials for waste reuse, providing scientific importance in carbon reduction and waste management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106502"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tailored Poisson’s Ratio-reinforced Cementitious Composites for flexural applications","authors":"Rowin J.M. Bol ,&nbsp;Wen Zhou ,&nbsp;Zhaozheng Meng ,&nbsp;Erik Schlangen ,&nbsp;Branko Šavija","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106485","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106485","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) to create reinforcements for cementitious composites has become a popular research topic in recent years. One illustrative example is the integration of 3D-printed auxetic reinforcements into cementitious matrices, which exhibit superior energy absorption due to their negative Poisson’s ratio. This presents the opportunity to tailor the Poisson’s ratio of reinforcements to align with local stress distributions and enhance structural efficiency. In this study, Tailored Poisson’s Ratio-reinforcements (TPR) were proposed, characterized by a linear gradient of Poisson’s ratios along the height of the reinforcement to accommodate varying stress profiles within beams. Specifically, the top chords of TPR exhibit negative Poisson’s ratios (auxetic), undergoing lateral contraction under compression and providing confinement to the surrounded matrix. Conversely, the bottom chords possess positive Poisson’s ratios, contributing to lateral contraction under tension. These lateral deformations cause a shift in the principal stress state of the confined matrix, extending the loading path in stress space and actively delaying failure. Three novel Tailored Poisson’s Ratio-reinforced Cementitious Composite (TPRCC) designs are developed and tested under four-point bending in this study. Experimental recordings indicate increases in load capacity and toughness of up to 191% and 6900% with respect to plain mortar, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"168 ","pages":"Article 106485"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145974811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Nondestructive Testing-Based Threshold Modeling Approach Using CT Images for Concrete Pore Permeability and Fractal Characterization","authors":"Yuan Shen ,&nbsp;Tamon Ueda","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the relationship between porosity, permeability, and fractal dimension in C40 concrete through experimental studies on six samples. The experiment includes three samples (No. 1, 2, 3) subjected to different stress levels (30 MPa, 40 MPa, 50 MPa) and three control groups (No. 1B, 2B, 3B). Each sample was scanned via nondestructive CT with a resolution of 15 μm, and its porosity and permeability were measured using helium gas experiments. CT images were analyzed using AVIZO software to examine the relationship between pore quantity, area, volume, and applied stress. A threshold-based pore model was established for permeability calculation. The threshold model estimates permeability using the Hagen-Poiseuille and Darcy-fractal methods; the latter, incorporating fractal dimension as a structural factor, more accurately captures complex pore topology and achieves a higher correlation (<em>R</em>² = 0.779). Although the linear correlation between fractal dimension, porosity, and experimental permeability is weak, embedding fractal dimension as a parameter in nonlinear models (e.g., Darcy-fractal flow) effectively adjusts the influence of structural complexity on seepage, bringing predictions closer to experimental values.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106599"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147536068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bio-inspired generalized trapezoidal suture interfaces for enhanced mechanical performance in Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composites joints","authors":"Shiping Li ,&nbsp;Wujun Chen ,&nbsp;Yan Sun ,&nbsp;Xiaoniu Yu ,&nbsp;Chencheng Zha ,&nbsp;Ye Qian","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106592","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106592","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nature employs intricate geometric suture strategies to optimize local interface properties and achieve exceptional mechanical performance in biomaterial structures. Inspired by these natural designs, this study investigates the mechanical behavior and failure mechanisms of structured suture interfaces with generalized trapezoidal geometries derived from algae—including triangular, trapezoidal, rectangular, and anti-trapezoidal geometries—to support innovative engineering joint applications. Flexural tests on Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composite (SHCC) specimens featuring these suture geometries, fabricated using 3D-printed molds, were conducted to systematically examine their mechanical performance. The findings demonstrate that optimizing suture geometry can effectively tailor mechanical attributes such as strength, ductility, failure mode, and flexural toughness. Notably, the triangular suture interface facilitates uniform stress transfer, resulting in a more graceful ductile failure, in contrast to the anti-trapezoidal interface, which induces stress concentration at the tooth root, resulting in catastrophic brittle failure. The optimized generalized trapezoidal suture (GTS) achieved a favorable balance between strength and ductility, with improvements of 14.8% in cracking load, 13.8% in peak load, and 1.0% in energy absorption compared to an unjointed cast counterpart, indicating—within the investigated parameter space and test conditions—that interface geometry can be leveraged to convert the joint from a potential weak link into a performance-tailorable, damage-tolerant connection. This study combines algae-inspired suture interfaces with the SHCC’s strain-hardening behavior, establishes experimentally validated design principles, and proposes an innovative connection strategy for high-performance structural applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"171 ","pages":"Article 106592"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147501692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Size effect and mechanism-based multiphase modeling of strain-hardening behavior of Ultra-High-Strength Engineered Cementitious Composites (UHS-ECC)","authors":"Ji-Xiang Zhu ,&nbsp;Bo-Tao Huang ,&nbsp;Wei-He Liu ,&nbsp;Ling-Yu Xu ,&nbsp;Kai-Di Peng ,&nbsp;Jian-Guo Dai","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In order to facilitate structural applications, a systematic and rational assessment of the size effect on the tensile performance of Ultra-High-Strength Engineered Cementitious Composites (UHS-ECC) is of crucial significance. To achieve this goal, direct tension tests were conducted on dumbbell-shaped UHS-ECC specimens of three different thicknesses (i.e., 10, 20, and 30 mm). Three different lengths (i.e., 6, 12, and 18 mm) of polyethylene (PE) fibers were also studied. As the specimen thickness increased, the tensile strength of UHS-ECC decreased, while the tensile strain capacity was unaffected. Increasing the fiber length from 6 mm to 12 mm led to significant enhancements of both the tensile strength and strain capacity of UHS-ECC, but further increasing the fiber length from 12 mm to 18 mm only slightly improved the tensile strain capacity with the tensile strength nearly unchanged. Mechanism-based finite element (MMFE) modeling was conducted to interpret experimental observations and elucidate the underlying physical mechanisms. The numerical analysis demonstrated that the experimental results could be accurately predicted by appropriately selecting fiber orientation distributions, indicating that the size effect and fiber length effect were strongly, if not fully, associated with the fiber orientation distributions. Specifically, thicker specimens were related to higher fiber orientations, which was consistent with the wall effect. Longer fibers were correlated with higher fiber orientations, probably due to the tendency of longer PE fibers to become folded during the mixing process. These folded fibers exhibited a smaller projected length in the tensile direction and reduced crack bridging capacity, resulting in effects similar to increased fiber orientation. The findings in this study provide a fundamental basis for optimizing fiber length and specimen thickness to mitigate size effects and to enhance the tensile performance of UHS-ECC in structural applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"167 ","pages":"Article 106424"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145657833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance study of alkali-activated waste concrete powder mortar: experimental study evaluation and molecular simulation","authors":"Zhiyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Dingyi Yang ,&nbsp;Xin Liu ,&nbsp;Wan Shi ,&nbsp;Junbao Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106454","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106454","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The enhancement of waste concrete powder (WCP) which occurs within alkali-activated systems is aimed to improve its utilization. Therefore, a multiscale framework integrating molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and experimental study was developed in the article. The study aims to elucidate the interaction of alkali content and silicate modulus on activation kinetics, gel formation, and pore structure evolution. MD simulations revealed that an 8 % alkali content led to synchronized jumps in the Mean Square Displacement (MSD) of Na⁺ ions and OH⁻ ions at approximately 1.8 × 10⁶ timesteps, indicating rapid depolymerization and channel connectivity, followed by accelerated polycondensation. Although 10 % alkali content promoted faster initial dissolution, excessive ion strength caused reaction passivation in later stages. Combined Radial Distribution Function (RDF) and Qⁿ analysis confirmed that enhanced Na–O inner-sphere coordination and increased Q⁰ species signify more favorable activation at 8 % alkali content. Replacing 25 % of metakaolin (MK) with WCP led to a 19.54 % improvement in 28-day compressive strength and 14 % improvement in 28-day flexural strength. Notably, thermal curing resulted in a substantial increase in compressive strength ranging from 45.36 % to 152.96 %, accompanied by a marked decrease in water absorption and porosity. However, higher WCP content or over-alkalization increased drying shrinkage and dehydration risks. The optimum mixture was identified as 75 % WCP activated with 8 % alkali and 1.5 silicate modulus under thermal curing. This study offers mechanistic insights and practical guidance for the performance optimization and sustainable use of WCP in alkali-activated binder systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"167 ","pages":"Article 106454"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145844677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"NaHCO3 solution carbonation recycled powder for novel alkali-activated concrete: Synergistic enhancement in mechanical properties, durability, and environmental impact","authors":"Yuan Feng ,&nbsp;Huaicheng Zhong ,&nbsp;Junda Fang ,&nbsp;Weisen Liu ,&nbsp;Zhan Jiang ,&nbsp;Jian Yang ,&nbsp;Jianhe Xie","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106465","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106465","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Using construction waste recycled powder (RP) in alkali-activated concrete (AAC) is highly sustainable, but its inherent low reactivity hinders high-volume utilisation. This study employed an innovative NaHCO₃ solution carbonation technique to treat RP, producing NCRP with enhanced performance as a ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS)-based AAC precursor. Compared with a conventional wet carbonation product (WCRP), the compressive strength of AAC with 40 % NCRP doping reached 56.3 MPa. This was 38.4 % and 15.1 % higher than the compressive strength of untreated RP and WCRP, respectively, and significantly exceeded that of the conventional fly ash (FA)/GGBFS system (48.9 MPa). NaHCO₃ accelerates the carbonation process by promoting CO₂ dissolution through the pH buffering effect of HCO₃⁻, while Na ⁺ promotes Ca²⁺ dissolution through ion exchange. During the alkali activation stage, the residual Na⁺ further synergistically builds a denser microstructure by promoting the dissolution-condensation reaction of silica-aluminate. These dense microstructures render NCRP/GGBFS-based AAC highly durable, with a 36 % reduction in water penetration depth and chloride ion erosion resistance, and a 25 % reduction in carbonation depth compared to untreated RP. Notably, while the conventional FA/GGBFS system exhibited a 37 % loss of strength upon carbonation, the NCRP/GGBFS system demonstrated a 9.4 % increase in strength due to the stabilising carbonate matrix. Environmental analyses further revealed that NCRP enhanced CO₂ sequestration capacity by 20 % compared to WCRP and reduced its global warming potential (GWP) by 30 % compared to the FA/GGBFS system. This work validates the use of NaHCO₃ carbonation for optimising AAC performance, enabling high-volume CDW recycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"167 ","pages":"Article 106465"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145894548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In-situ monitoring bacteria-based crack sealing process in mortar","authors":"Fuxing Hou,&nbsp;Di Shen,&nbsp;Hanyu Guo,&nbsp;Tian Yao,&nbsp;Aowei Ma,&nbsp;Jianyun Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106455","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106455","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The current challenge for bacteria-based self-healing is that biogenic-precipitates are mainly concentrated on the superficial part, while limited precipitates are in the deep part of the crack. This results in limited strength regain after crack sealing. To figure out the specific reasons, in-situ crack sealing process in the mortar specimens, with spores embedded at superficial layer (5 mm) and deep layer (25 mm), was investigated to disclose the key factors affecting the bio-precipitates distribution. Results showed the sealing depth of specimen with the spores embedded at 25 mm deep was significantly deeper (7.93 mm) than that embedded at 5 mm deep (4.67 mm). Spores in surface layer (pH 9–11.5) germinated first (in about 1 day) and consumed oxygen, resulting in a fast oxygen deficiency in the nearby region; thus the crack mouth was closed fast (42 days) but with a limited sealing depth. Differently, spores at deeper part (pH 12–12.5) germinated slower (in about 3 days) but precipitation could reach more deeper part, since the crack stay incompletely closed until 56-days, which facilitates oxygen diffusion. The results showed that pH distribution served as triggering factors, oxygen deficiency acted as an amplifying mechanism, and the uneven distribution of bio-deposition was the final result. This study clarified the mechanism of the physicochemical environment within the cracks, revealed the causal relationship between the pH-induced stratified spore germination, urease activity recovery and uneven deposition. The “spatial competition effect” between crack sealing width and crack sealing depth was revealed for the first time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"167 ","pages":"Article 106455"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145801496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of core-shell lightweight aggregate with carbon nanotube towards high elastic modulus: experiment and modeling","authors":"Xi Chen,&nbsp;Weiyi Ji,&nbsp;Chunpeng Zhang,&nbsp;Jian-Xin Lu,&nbsp;Chi-Sun Poon","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106469","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2026.106469","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The low strength and elastic modulus of lightweight aggregate (LWA) are the main factors restricting the development of lightweight concrete (LWC). To address this issue, a core-shell lightweight structure comprising a lightweight core and a strong shell toughened by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was designed to fabricate high-strength LWA. Incorporating 0.3 % CNTs resulted in a remarkable reduction in LWA porosity by over 97 %, while the elastic modulus of LWC was enhanced by 31.7 %. Experiments and simulations were employed to elucidate the role of CNTs in toughening the hydrated cementitious shell from hydration to cracking. Through TEM, SEM, X-CT, and nanoindentation, it was demonstrated that CNTs played a limited role in nucleation and marginally accelerated the hydration process. The shell and the adjacent interfacial transition zone were enhanced mainly because CNTs significantly rendered a tighter packing of hydration products and optimized the interconnected pores in sphericity and volume. Simulation results revealed that achieving a high modulus hinged on establishing a multi-layer synergy between the shell and the matrix, which was accomplished by forming an evenly distributed dense CNT-cement composite to mitigate stress concentration. This work harnesses the potential of CNTs to refine the unique pore distribution of LWA and optimize the stress distribution pattern of the core-shell structure within the matrix, which would facilitate the realization of LWC applications with high strength and modulus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"167 ","pages":"Article 106469"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145894550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coupling moisture transport and modified equivalent age for enhanced prediction of compressive strength in mortar","authors":"Bochao Sun ,&nbsp;Kechang Wu ,&nbsp;Qiliang Zhao ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Weijian Zhao ,&nbsp;Takafumi Noguchi ,&nbsp;Yihai Jia ,&nbsp;Qingkai Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106448","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2025.106448","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The strength prediction model based on traditional maturity models fails to accurately predict the compressive strength of cement mortar under unsaturated curing, for neglecting spatiotemporal variations in internal humidity. To address this limitation, this study combines the internal moisture field with a strength model based on a humidity-corrected equivalent age function, thereby precisely capturing strength evolution driven by moisture diffusion and self-desiccation. Firstly, the degree of cement hydration was quantified at multiple temperatures (10–40 °C) and relative humidities (23–100 % RH) through thermogravimetric analysis, thereby enabling humidity correction of the traditional equivalent age function. Secondly, a finite difference model simulated the spatiotemporal moisture distribution within cylindrical specimens under different environmental conditions (10–40 °C, 70–100 % RH). Lastly, the simulated moisture field was incorporated into the corrected strength model to predict the overall compressive strength. Experimental validations confirmed that the moisture diffusion model accurately captured internal moisture evolution, with correlation coefficients (R) between predicted and experimental values reaching 0.84 for 5 cm diameter (∅5 cm) specimens and 0.94 for ∅10 cm specimens. Furthermore, the predicted compressive strengths exhibited excellent agreement with the experimental values, showing improved accuracy compared to traditional models. For the ∅5 cm and ∅10 cm specimens, the coefficients of determination (R²) were 0.94 and 0.956, the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) values were 2.493 MPa and 2.158 MPa, and the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) values were 2.069 MPa and 1.843 MPa, respectively. This modeling approach provides a reliable theoretical framework and practical tool for predicting the strength of cement mortar under unsaturated curing conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9865,"journal":{"name":"Cement & concrete composites","volume":"167 ","pages":"Article 106448"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145717972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}