METHODOLOGY FOR POROSIMETRY IN VIRTUAL CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITES TO ECONOMICALLY AND RELIABLY ESTIMATE PERMEABILITY

Abstract

A novel methodology is described for porosimetry as well as for water transport through the pore system in dynamic DEM-based virtual cementitious materials. The pore network topology, the pore size distribution and the pore connectivity are assessed on the basis of a robotics-inspired pore delineation method and star volume measurements. Permeability estimates are based on a tube network model that incorporates these parameters and a shape factor. Since concrete contains in practical situations a variable amount of water, permeability estimation is presented as a function of the state of saturation. Satisfactory agreement is found with experimental data, validating the methodology. Earlier, the various "building blocks" were separately validated.