Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relationships between Strength and Microstructure for Cement-Based Materials: An Overview

  • Published:
MRS Online Proceedings Library Aims and scope

Abstract

The mechanical properties of cement-based materials must be controlled by the microstructure, pore geometry and chemical composition of the cement, by the properties of the aggregate, and by the nature of the cement-aggregate bond. While the precise form of the strength vs. microstructure relationship is as yet only imperfectly understood, enough is known to permit us to predict what alterations in the microstructure are required for the production of materials with very high strengths. There are also techniques available for reducing the brittleness that is often a characteristic of high-strength materials. The present paper presents an overview of the strength vs. microstructure relationships that can be used to predict the properties of high strength cement-based materials, and a brief review of some of the methods for achieving high strengths.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A.W. Skempton, Trans. Newcoraen Society, XXXV, 117 (1962–1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. S.P. Shah (ed.), High Strength Concrete, Proceedings of a Workshop Held at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, 1979.

  3. S. Diamond, in Ref. 2, p. 36.

  4. G. Idorn, in Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on the Chemistry of Cement (The Cement Association of Japan, Tokyo, 1968) Vol. III, p. 411.

    Google Scholar 

  5. S. Brunauer, Am. Sci., 50, 210 (1962).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. T.C. Powers, in Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on the Chemistry of Cement (National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C., 1960), Vol. II, p. 577.

    Google Scholar 

  7. R.F. Feldman and P.J. Sereda, Mat. et Constr. 1, 509 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. R.F. Feldman and P.J. Sereda, Eng. J. (Canada) 53, 53 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  9. V.S. Ramachandran, R.F. Feldman and J.J. Beaudoin, Concrete Science (Heyden & Son Ltd., London, 1981).

    Google Scholar 

  10. H.F.W. Taylor, in Cement Production and use (Publication No. 79-08, Engineering Foundation, New York, 1979), p. 107.

    Google Scholar 

  11. J.F. Young, in Z.P. Bazant and F.H. Wittmann (eds.), Creepand Shrinkage in Concrete Structures (John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 1982), p. 3.

  12. F.H. Wittmann, in Creepand Shrinkage in Concrete Structures (John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 1982), p. 129.

  13. Lucretius, Onthe Nature of the Universe (tr. by R. Latham), (Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, England, 1951), p. 43.

    Google Scholar 

  14. R. Feret, Bull. Soc. Encour. Ind. Natn., Paris, 1604 (1897).

  15. T.C. Powers and T.L. Brownyard, Bulletin22, (Portland Cement Association, Skokie, Illinois, 1948).

    Google Scholar 

  16. M. Yu. Bal’shin, Doklady Aka. Nauk. S.S.S.R., 67, 831 (1949).

    Google Scholar 

  17. E. Ryshkewitch, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc., 36, 65 (1953).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. K.K. Schiller, Brit. J. Appl. Phys., 11, 338 (1960).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S. Mindess, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc., 53, 621 (1970).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. J. Jambor, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Pore Structure and Properties of Materials (RILEM/IUPAC, Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1973), Vol. II, D75.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Y. Zaitsev, in 7th International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement (Paris, 1980), Vol. III, p. VI-176.

  22. P.J. Sereda, R.F. Feldman and V.S. Ramachandran, in 7th International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement (Paris, 1980), Vol. I, p. VI-1/3.

  23. J.J. Beaudoin, Cem. Concr. Res., 12, 705 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. A.A. Griffith, Phil. Trans. R. Soc., A221, 163 (1920).

    Google Scholar 

  25. S. Mindess, in F.H. Wittmann (ed.), Frature Mechanics of Concrete (Elsevier Scientific Publications Company, Amsterdam, 1983), p. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  26. J.D. Birchall, A.J. Howard and K. Kendall, Nature, 289, 388 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. J.D. Birchall, A.J. Howard and K. Kendall, Proc. Brit. Ceram. Soc., 32, 25 (1982).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. K. Kendall, A.J. Howard and J.D. Birchall, in Technology in the 1990s: Developments in Hydraulic Cements (The Royal Society, London, 1983), p. 139.

    Google Scholar 

  29. J.J. Beaudoin, Cem. Concr. Res., 13, 81 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. N. McN. Alford, Cem. Concr. Res., 11, 605 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. N. McN. Alford, G.W. Groves and D.D. Double, Cem. Concr. Res., 12, 349 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. S. Mindess, In F.H. Wittmann (ed.), Fracture Mechanics of Concrete (Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1983), p. 534.

    Google Scholar 

  33. F.V. Lawrence, Jr., J.F. Young and R.L. Berger, Cem. Concr. Res., 7, 369 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. J. Jambor, in Hydraulic Cement Pastest Their Structure and Properties (Cement and Concrete Association, Wexham Springs, 1976), p. 175.

    Google Scholar 

  35. J. Jambor, in Proceedings of the Sixth International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement (Moscow, 1974), preprint.

  36. L. Hjorth, in Nordic Concrete Research Publications No. 1 (The Nordic Concrete Federation, Oslo, 1982), p. 901.

    Google Scholar 

  37. R.F. Feldman and J.J. Beaudoin, Cem. Concr. Res., 6, 389 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. H.F.W. Taylor, Cera. Concr. Res., 7, 465 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. J.M. Crennan, S.A.S. El-Hemaly and H.F.W. Taylor, Cem. Concr. Res., 7, 495 (1977).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. D.O. Woolf, in Significance of Tests and Properties of Concrete and Concrete-Making Materials (ASTM STP 169-A, American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1966), p. 462.

    Google Scholar 

  41. R.C. Meininger, in Significance of Tests and Properties of Concrete and Concrete-Making Materials (ASTM STP 169-B, American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1978), p. 657.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  42. F.H. Wittmann, in Ref. 2, p. 8.

  43. G. Fagerlund, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Pore Structure and Properties of Materials (RILEM/IUPAC, Prague, 1973), p. D51.

    Google Scholar 

  44. T.T.C. Hsu, F.O. Slate, G.M. Sturraan and G. Winter, J. Amer. Concr. Inst., 60, 209 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  45. K.M. Alexander, J. Wardlaw and D.J. Gilbert, in A.E. Brooks and K. Newman (eds.), The Structure of Concrete (Cement and Concrete Association, London, 1968), p. 59.

    Google Scholar 

  46. S.P. Shah, in Ref. 2, p. 1.

  47. K.H. Gerstle, in Ref. 2, p. 43.

  48. S. Ahmad and S.P. Shah, in Proceedings of the CSCE-ASCE-ACI-CEB International Symposium on Nonlinear Design of Concrete Structures (University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 1979).

    Google Scholar 

  49. A.E. Naaman, in Ref. 2, p. 194.

  50. S.E. Coleman, M. Maage and S. Diamond, Final Report, Joint Highway Research Project FWHA/lN/JHRP-82/2 (Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, 1982), p. 281.

    Google Scholar 

  51. G. Tognon, P. Ursella and G. Coppetti, J. Amer. Concr. Inst., 77, 171 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  52. P.T. Wang, S.P. Shah and A.E. Naaman, J. Struct. Div., ASCE, 104, 1761 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  53. S. Mindess, The Relationship Between the Strength and Microstructure of Autoclaved Calcium Silicate Materials (Ph.D. Thesis, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 1970).

  54. M. Yudenfreund, I. Odler and S. Brunauer, Cem. Concr. Res., 2, 313 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. M. Yudenfreund, J. Skalny, R. Sh. Mikhail and S. Brunauer, Cem. Concr. Res., 2, 331 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. M. Yudenfreund, K.M. Hanna, J. Skalny, I. Odler and S. Brunauer, Cem. Concr. Res., 2, 731 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. D.M. Roy, G.R. Gouda and A. Bobrowsky, Cem. Concr. Res., 2, 349 (1972).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. D.M. Roy and G.R. Gouda, J. Amer. Ceram. Soc., 56, 549 (1973).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. D.M. Roy and G.R. Gouda, in Proceedings of the Sixth International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement (Moscow, 1974), preprint paper No. 92.

  60. G.J. Verbeck and R.A. Helmuth, in Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on the Chemistry of Cement (The Cement Association of Japan, Tokyo, 1968), Vol. III, p. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  61. D. Manning and B. Hope, Cem. Concr. Res., 1, 631 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. T. Fukuchi and Y. Ohama, in Polymers in Concrete (SP-58, American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Michigan, 1978), p. 215.

    Google Scholar 

  63. S. Mindess, in F.H. Wittmann (ed.), Fracture Mechanics of Concrete (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1983), p. 481.

    Google Scholar 

  64. N. Thaulow, Cem. Concr. Res., 4, 269 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. L. Hjorth, in Technology in the 1990s; Developments in Hydraulic Cements (The Royal Society, London, 1983), p. 167.

    Google Scholar 

  66. D.J. Hannant, D.C. Hughes and A. Kelly, in Technolgy in the 1990s; Developments in Hydraulic Cements (The Royal Society, London, 1983), p. 175.

    Google Scholar 

  67. A.J. Majumdar and V. Laws, in Technology in the 1990s; Developments in Hydraulic Cements (The Royal Society, London, 1983), p. 191.

    Google Scholar 

  68. R.J. Gray, J. Mater. Sci., 19, 861 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. R.J. Gray, J. Mater. Sci., 19, 1680 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, 2324 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1W5, Canada

    Sidney Mindess

Authors
  1. Sidney Mindess
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mindess, S. Relationships between Strength and Microstructure for Cement-Based Materials: An Overview. MRS Online Proceedings Library 42, 53–68 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-42-53

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-42-53

Search

Navigation