Pore Size Distribution in Cement Pastes in Relation to Freeze-Thaw Distress

Abstract

The pore size distributions of hardened cement pastes were studied in the research reported in this paper in order to investigate whether there was a relationship with the risk of freeze thaw related distress. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and cyclic freezing and thawing tests were used to assess cement pastes with different water-to-cement (w/c) ratios and supplementary cementitious materials. Typical pavement mixtures contain a range of pore sizes similar to those in aggregate prone to D-cracking. Such pore sizes are reported to resist drying, thus they may increase saturation and so the risk of damage under freezing and thawing.