Nanoscale texture development of C-S-H gel: A computational model for nucleation and growth

The development of C-S-H (Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate) gels during cement hydration is often investigated by nucleation and growth models which fit reasonably well with the calorimetric measurements but predict hydration degrees which grossly exceed the experimental values. Here, a computational model is presented which explicitly considers the intrinsic nanoparticulate nature of C-S-H gel. Based on a nucleation and growth algorithm the model reproduces the experimental calorimetric and hydration degree measurements without invoking to any diffusion mechanism. The model also suggests that the peak in the calorimetric curves can be ascribed to the percolation point of the hydrates themselves within the interstitial pore volume.