On the Relationship between the Structural Form of Concrete and its Resistance

Abstract

The capillary-porous structure of cement stone and concrete is known to be mainly characterized by the presence of two major structural components – crystalline and gel-like products in the form of calcium sub-microcrystals of variable composition. The environmental factors cause changes in the structural-mechanical properties of the concrete structure which can be divided into “internal” and “external” ones. The number of internal properties includes those that change the relative content of the structural components of concrete – its composition, hardening conditions, and etc. The external factors include those that act directly on the already formed structure of concrete in operating conditions. These include mechanical, physical, chemical and other factors that affect the properties of the structure over time.