Coupling temperature, cement hydration and rheological behaviour of fresh cemented paste backfill

In this paper, a mathematical model is developed to predict and assess the evolution of the rheological properties of CPB under the coupled effects of temperature and progress of binder hydration. The model is implemented into the numerical software COMSOL Multiphysics. Then, the prediction ability of the model is assessed by comparing the predicted values with available experimental data from various rheological or flowability tests (rheometer, vane shear, and slump tests) on CPB. The model validation test results show that there is good agreement between the predicted and experimentally measured rheological properties of CPB. The simulation results emphasise that the temperature and progress of cement hydration have significant impact on the rheological behaviour and flowability.

► Effect of temperature and cement hydration on paste backfill’s rheology is modelled.
► Model predictions agree well with the experimental results.
► Temperature and cement hydration progress significantly affect the rheology of CPB.