Internal relative humidity distribution in high-performance cement paste due to moisture diffusion and self-desiccation

This investigation was carried out to study internal relative humidity (IRH) distribution of cement paste made with different water / cement ratios (w / c) and mineral admixtures in isothermal drying conditions. IRH changes in cement paste resulting from self-desiccation and moisture diffusion, respectively, at different ages were studied. The change laws of IRH in cement paste resulting from combining moisture diffusion with self-desiccation were discussed. The results indicate that IRH reduction of cement paste with w / c higher than 0.4 is mainly affected by moisture diffusion. However, IRH reduction of cement paste with w / c no higher than 0.4 is controlled by both moisture diffusion and self-desiccation. With the decrease of w / c, IRH reduction of cement paste resulting from self-desiccation increases, and IRH reduction resulting from moisture diffusion decreases at a given age. IRH decrement of cement paste incorporated with silica fume and ground blast-furnace slag is higher than that of control paste. w / c and the distance to the exposed surface play a significant role in IRH change resulting from moisture diffusion in isothermal drying condition. Change laws of IRH in cement paste with silica fume due to moisture diffusion considering self-desiccation are different from those in cement paste without silica fume.