Poromechanics of drying and freezing cement-based materials

The durability of Civil Engineering materials relates to multi-physics and multi-scale issues. The improvement of cement-based materials at resisting environmental aggressive conditions depends mainly upon the better understanding of the hydro-mechanical couplings to which they are subjected. The paper addresses the mechanical behaviour of cement-based materials subjected to drying and to the frost action. It is shown how Poromechanics, by combining Thermodynamics, Mechanics of solids and micro-macro considerations, provides a relevant framework in order to understand and to predict the mechanical behaviour of cement-based materials subjected to the various internal actions of water.