Simulation Studies of the Effects of Mineral Admixtures on the Cement Paste-Aggregate Interfacial Zone (SP-105)
This paper presents a 3-d microstructural model for simulating the interfacial zone in concrete, including the incorporation of inert and pozzolanic mineral admixtures. The model is used to obtain the cementitious-material phase distributions as a function of distance from the aggreagate surface to quantitatively characterize the interfacial zone. Pozzolanic admixtures, such as silica fume and fly ash, are found to increase the homogeneity of the interfacial region, with the most important enhancement proposed to be the improved homogeneity of the calcium-silicate-hydrate phase. The effects of mineral admixture particle size and reactivity are also computed via simulations.