Modeling the elastic modulus of cement paste with X-ray computed tomography and a hybrid analytical-numerical algorithm: The effect of structural heterogeneity

Abstract

The elastic modulus is a fundamental parameter that controls the mechanical behavior of cement paste. Because of structural heterogeneity, modeling the elastic modulus remains a challenging problem. In this study, X-ray computed tomography images are used to represent the structural features of cement paste; based on that, a hybrid analytical-numerical algorithm is proposed for modeling the elastic modulus. At the voxel level, a power-law formula relating the grayscale value to the elastic modulus is established using a combination of a hydration model and a self-consistent scheme. At the cement paste level, the finite element method is adopted to achieve homogenization. Special attention is paid to the effect of structural heterogeneity. To that end, the multifractal theory is employed.