Assessment of Wood-Cement Compatibility: A New Approach

Abstract

Summary The influence of wood upon the setting of cement is generally assessed by conducting semi-adiabatic hydration tests. The existing methods to quantify wood-cement compatibility are based on the maximum hydration temperature (Tmax ), the time (tmax ) to reach it or the heat evolved in a specified period. Results obtained by these methods at higher wood-cement ratios are not convincing and show inconsistencies for various reasons. This paper discusses these reasons and suggests an alternative method based on a maturity function. The results from the new calculation method are compared with those of the existing methods and demonstrate the superiority of this new method at higher wood-cement ratios.