Cohesive-strength properties versus porosity of cementitious materials

Abstract

This paper presents a new approach for quantifying the effect of porosity, at meso and macro-scales, on the strength behaviour of cementitious materials at a macro-scale. The proposed approach combines a cohesive-strength homogenisation model with second-order cone programming through establishing the analytical upper bound solution of cohesive-strength behaviour using inverse analysis. The derived formulation presents a nonlinear relationship between the uniaxial compressive strength-to-porosity ratio and the material parameters of the developed homogenisation model. The results show that the curing ages increase the friction coefficient, cohesion and the mesoporosity of the hydration produ..