Proficiency analysis of VCCTL results for heat of hydration and mortar cube strength

Abstract This paper establishes proof of concept that computational modeling can emulate the performance of physical testing laboratories for heat of hydration and compressive strength testing of type I, II and III portland cements. Simulation of 20 reference cements in a modified Virtual Cement and Concrete Testing Laboratory produced compressive strength and heat of hydration results with mean absolute differences of 5.0% and 6.5% compared to experimental data obtained from the same cements through the proficiency sample program of the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory. The findings suggest computational modeling can be a practical, reliable and economical alternative to physical testing for portland cements.