Physical Origins of Thermal Properties of Cement Paste

Concrete is the most used human-made material on earth, the backbone of civil infrastructure, yet the link between the composition of cement paste and its thermophysical properties remains rather obscure. This multiscale study combines statistical physics and mean-field homogenization theory to unravel the relationship between the chemistry of the calcium silicate phases present in the paste and its macroscopic heat capacity and thermal conductivity. These results offer a robust physical basis for engineering thermal and acoustic isolation of buildings, and more durable ceramics and other construction materials.