Micromechanical characterization of damage in cement pastes: an experimental-numerical study

A modelling approach is proposed for the simulation of damage in cement pastes at the microscale. The approach takes use of recent advances in hydration modelling tools and the experimental and numerical characterization of micromechanical properties of cement paste phases. It is shown that the modelling approach can illustrate the damage behaviour of the cement matric and predict the properties of well-hydrated cement pastes. It can therefore be used to calculate the macroscopic properties of cement pastes as well as investigate the propagation of damage inside the cement paste matrix without the need for a new identification of model parameters. Some of the limitations to the presented approach are also discussed.