Characterization of Self-Compacting Concrete at the Age of 7 Years Using Industrial Computed Tomography

The pore structure of SCC and of all cement-based materials plays a crucial role on the mechanical and durability characteristics of the material. The pore structure is affected by mix design, water–binder ratio and the incorporation of SCM and/or nanomaterials, all of which can improve mechanical and durability characteristics by decreasing porosity. Computed tomography (CT) is a powerful, non-destructive imaging technique to investigate the internal pore structure of concrete. The main advantage compared to other investigation techniques used to assess the pore structure is in terms of sample size. More specifically, industrial CT can be used to scan large concrete samples and be able to assess the internal pore structure without damaging the specimen. CT provides accurate measurements of pore diameters, volumes and shapes and enables the assessment of the total porosity. The paper presents the results of an experimental program on the characterization of self-compacting concrete (SCC) at a very long age (7 years) in terms of static and dynamic elastic properties and compressive and splitting tensile strength, all of which are correlated with the internal pore structure assessed via the use of an industrial Nikon XTH 450 CT. The results highlight the influence of pore volume, maximum pore diameter and sphericity on the strength and elastic properties of SCC at the age of 7 years. Both the compressive strength and the static modulus of elasticity values tend to decrease with the increase in the internal total porosity, with stronger influence on the former.