Evaluation of dilute inclusion model by finite element method: application to the cement paste

Abstract

International audienceThis paper deals with the application of the finite element method (FEM) to evaluate the dilute inclusion model, which is a micromechanical model used to determine the mechanical properties of the cement paste. The Young modulus of dry cement paste was characterised using a numerical method based on the finite element method and which considers porosity as a key parameter. The work is divided in three parts. In the first part, the methodology adopted to model the cement paste by FEM was presented. In the second part, the main equations of motion were described and both the FEM and the dilute inclusion homogenisation methods were applied to the case of dry cement paste. Finally, the results obtained by FEM and the dilute inclusion models were compared. The results show that there is a good adequacy between FEM and the model. This proves the reliability of the dilute inclusion model when estimating cement paste properties for a low range of porosity (less than 30%)