X-ray computed tomography for pore-related characterization and simulation of cement mortar matrix

Application of X-ray computed tomography (CT) for pore-related characterization and simulation of cement mortar was explored in this paper. Based on visualization and quantitation of the three-dimensional (3D) morphological features (i.e., appearance, size, volume, shape, and distribution) of pores, the porosity, tortuosity-connectivity, permeability, and molecular diffusion of cement mortar were computed and simulated. The simulation of the permeability and molecular diffusion of cement mortar was carried out on the basis of Darcy's law and Fick's second law, respectively. The dynamical velocity field and concentration field were respectively visualized. It was found that the X-ray CT technique provided a promising non-destructive alternative for both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the pore-related characterizations of cementitious materials. Furthermore, it was possible to use the simulations to replace lab-intensive experimental tests to quickly obtain the permeability and diffusivity parameters of cement mortar for application in engineering design.