Investigating the relationship between early-age elastic modulus development and setting time in cement-based materials

This study examines the applicability of early-age static elastic modulus measurements for estimating the setting time of cement-based materials. A range of cement paste compositions was prepared to encompass a broad spectrum of setting behaviors. Static elastic modulus was continuously and automatically monitored using a recently developed technique, Elasticity Modulus Measurement through Impulse Response Method (EMM-IRM), a variant of resonant frequency methods. For comparison, the Vicat Needle test was employed to determine setting times. The results indicate that the evolution of the elastic modulus over time is highly sensitive to variations in setting behavior. Notably, initial setting tends to correspond to the first inflection point of the time derivative of the static elastic modulus, while final setting aligns with the point where its rate of evolution levels off. Based on these observations, a new methodology is proposed for estimating setting times. In this approach, the initial setting corresponds to the first peak in the second derivative of the static elastic modulus curve, while the final setting is defined as the point at which this curve decreases to 80% of its maximum value.

Graphical abstract