Creep in reactive colloidal gels: A nanomechanical study of cement hydrates

From soft polymeric gels to hardened cement paste, amorphous solids under constant load exhibit a pronounced time-dependent deformation called creep. The microscopic mechanism of such a phenomenon is poorly understood in amorphous materials and constitutes an even greater challenge in densely packed...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review research 2021-11, Vol.3 (4), p.043127, Article 043127
Main Authors: Haist, Michael, Divoux, Thibaut, Krakowiak, Konrad J., Skibsted, Jørgen, Pellenq, Roland J.-M., Müller, Harald S., Ulm, Franz-Josef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Condensed Matter
Engineering Sciences
Materials
Materials Science
Mechanics
Mechanics of materials
Physics
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Summary:From soft polymeric gels to hardened cement paste, amorphous solids under constant load exhibit a pronounced time-dependent deformation called creep. The microscopic mechanism of such a phenomenon is poorly understood in amorphous materials and constitutes an even greater challenge in densely packed and chemically reactive granular systems. Both features are prominently present in hydrating cement pastes composed of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) nanoparticles, whose packing density increases as a function of time, while cement hydration is taking place. Performing nanoindentation tests and porosity measurements on a large collection of samples at various stages of hydration, we show that the creep response of hydrating cement paste is mainly controlled by the interparticle distance and results from slippage between (C-S-H) nanoparticles. Our findings provide a unique insight into the microscopic mechanism underpinning the creep response in aging granular materials, thus paving the way for the design of concrete with improved creep resistance.
ISSN:2643-1564
2643-1564
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.043127