Numerical Study on Microscopic Characteristics of Interfacial Transition Zone between Cement Paste and Aggregate
GAO Xuan
LIU Qingfeng
Abstract：A numerical model of ITZ was developed based on the corpuscular nature,the continuous slicing method and the cement hydration theory and was verified by third-party experimental data.The effects of the non-uniform distribution of cement particles and local differences in water-to-cement ratios due to the wall effect were comprehensively taken into account.Based on the proposed model,the water-to-cement ratios,cement particle size distribution,and aggregate surface roughness were analyzed.The results show that,though the hydration degree of the cement in ITZ is high,its hydration product is significantly lower than that of the cement paste matrix.The larger the water-to-cement ratio is,the higher the thickness and porosity of ITZ are.Finer cement particles can fill the gaps between the large particles,thus reducing the ITZ thickness and porosity.Rough aggregate surfaces,on the other hand,can enhance the wall effect and increase the thickness and porosity of ITZ.
Keywords：ITZwall effectthicknessporosityinfluence factor
Publication Date：2025-12-30
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-08(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：10( 1180-1189 )