The time-dependent viscoelastic response of cement-based materials to applied deformation is far from fully understood at the atomic level.Calcium silicate hydrate(C-S-H),the main hydration product of Portland cement,...The time-dependent viscoelastic response of cement-based materials to applied deformation is far from fully understood at the atomic level.Calcium silicate hydrate(C-S-H),the main hydration product of Portland cement,is responsible for the viscoelastic mechanism of cement-based materials.In this study,a molecular model of C-S-H was developed to explain the stress relaxation characteristics of C-S-H at different initial deformation states,Ca/Si ratios,temperatures,and water contents,which cannot be accessed experimentally.The stress relaxation of C-S-H occurs regardless of whether it is subjected to initial shear,tensile,or compressive deformation,and shows a heterogeneous characteristic.Water plays a crucial role in the stress relaxation process.A large Ca/Si ratio and high temperature reduce the cohesion between the calcium-silicate layer and the interlayer region,and the viscosity of the interlayer region,thereby accelerating the stress relaxation of C-S-H.The effect of the hydrogen bond network and the morphology of C-S-H on the evolution of the stress relaxation characteristics of C-S-H at different water contents was elucidated by nonaffine mean squared displacement.Our results shed light on the stress relaxation characteristics of C-S-H from a microscopic perspective,bridging the gap between the microscopic phenomena and the underlying atomic-level mechanisms.展开更多
基金This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51602229 and U2040222)the Opening Project of Key Laboratory of Advanced Civil Engineering Materials of Ministry of Education(Tongji University)the Water Conservancy Science and Technology Project of Hunan Province(No.XSKJ2021000-15),China.
文摘The time-dependent viscoelastic response of cement-based materials to applied deformation is far from fully understood at the atomic level.Calcium silicate hydrate(C-S-H),the main hydration product of Portland cement,is responsible for the viscoelastic mechanism of cement-based materials.In this study,a molecular model of C-S-H was developed to explain the stress relaxation characteristics of C-S-H at different initial deformation states,Ca/Si ratios,temperatures,and water contents,which cannot be accessed experimentally.The stress relaxation of C-S-H occurs regardless of whether it is subjected to initial shear,tensile,or compressive deformation,and shows a heterogeneous characteristic.Water plays a crucial role in the stress relaxation process.A large Ca/Si ratio and high temperature reduce the cohesion between the calcium-silicate layer and the interlayer region,and the viscosity of the interlayer region,thereby accelerating the stress relaxation of C-S-H.The effect of the hydrogen bond network and the morphology of C-S-H on the evolution of the stress relaxation characteristics of C-S-H at different water contents was elucidated by nonaffine mean squared displacement.Our results shed light on the stress relaxation characteristics of C-S-H from a microscopic perspective,bridging the gap between the microscopic phenomena and the underlying atomic-level mechanisms.