The wetting water in cement-based materials: Modeling and experimental validation

The physical role of water in cement-based materials is observed through the wetting of the grains, the need to fill the voids between particles and to separate these particles from one another, providing fluidity. The objective of this article is to develop a model for quantifying the minimum volume of water necessary to wet the particles in cement-based materials. This model takes into account the compactness of the granular system and the particle size. An experimental program was performed to assess the minimum water required. The results obtained agree with the predictions provided by the model.