Mechanical Properties of Deteriorated Hardened Cement Paste

The porosity of hardened cement paste changes when it is exposed to the actual environments, and it may be expected that the chemical structure of the C-S-H undergoes changes. The C-S-H is the main component, comprising 60% or more by volume of hardened cement paste, and this study focuses on changes in the chemical structure of C-S-H. Deterioration induced by ammonium nitrate solution was accompanied by changes in the pore structure as well as structural changes in the C-S-H in the hardened cement paste. It was ascertained that when evaluating the decreases in the elastic modulus of the hardened cement paste, both the pore structure and the structure of the C-S-H must be considered.