Does kaolin clay really create a perfect hydraulic interface contact between materials?

Abstract

In literature, kaolin clay is often put forward to create a perfect hydraulic contact across the interface of building materials. This paper studies, based on imbibition experiments, if kaolin clay truly nullifies a hydraulic interface resistance between materials. Thereto, a comparison is made between the water uptake by monolithic samples and by samples composed using kaolin clay. An interface resistance is observed and estimated to be in the order of 6000 m/s to 12000 m/s for a high absorptive brick and around 25000 m/s for calcium silicate. For low absorptive materials or for an interface far from the water plain, a hydraulic interface resistance is probably also present. Though, in this case, the interface resistance is too low to have a noticeable impact on the cumulative inflow.