Numerical Study of Chloride Diffusion in Unsaturated Cementitious Materials Based on Pore Network
WANG Zhiqi
TONG Liangyu
XIONG Qingxiang
LIU Qingfeng
Abstract：This study employed the pore network modeling(PNM)method to describe the pore structure of cementitious materials,while also considering the moisture distribution within the pore network.Further,a 2D numerical model for chloride diffusion based on the pore network was developed.The feasibility of the model was verified by comparing it with the third-party tests.By considering pore structure characteristics including porosity,pore size distribution,connectivity,and tortuosity,this model studied the influence of the microstructure on the chloride diffusion process.Results show that the diffusion performance of chloride highly depends on the saturation degree and the characteristics of pore structure.The decrease in porosity and the reduction in average pore size can lead to a decrease in the chloride diffusion coefficient of cementitious materials.Moreover,there is an inverse relationship between tortuosity and connectivity.When connectivity is below 0.7 and tortuosity exceeds 1.5,the relative diffusion coefficient of chloride is less than 0.2,indicating a significant improvement in the chloride erosion resistance of the material.
Keywords：cementitious materialchloride diffusionpore network modellingpore structureunsaturated state
Publication Date：2026-01-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-17(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：11( 39-48,66 )