A model for the flow of cement pastes

This paper presents a simple mathematical model of the flow behaviour of fresh cement pastes and mortars based on a soil mechanics approach. A soil mechanics model can mimic many of the features of the pastes rheological behaviour indicating that physical, as well as chemical, factors might control many of these.Specifically, we have developed a simple mathematical model of the evolution of the packing of the clinker or sand grains and its effect on the flow of the paste or mortar. This not only incorporates the role of the pore water but also copes with the large deformations typical of the mixing and placement of mortars. This model is used here to simulate small cyclic deformations with a large drift accumulating in one direction, and is able to capture both the liquefaction and locking phenomena seen in practice when mortars are vibrated.