Prediction of the Rheological Properties of Fresh Cementitious Suspensions Considering Microstructural Parameters

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Rheology

Background:

• Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are crucial for modifying cement properties.
• Understanding individual SCM rheology is vital for predicting blended mix behavior.
• Limited research exists on SCM rheological properties across various solid fractions and predictive models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the rheological properties of non-blended cementitious suspensions (Portland cement, fly ash, blast-furnace slag, silica fume).
• To predict yield stress using YODEL and plastic viscosity using Krieger-Dougherty's equation.
• To evaluate the accuracy of these models against experimental data.

Main Methods:

• Experimental investigation of rheological properties for PC, FA, BS, and SF suspensions.
• Systematic variation of solid volume fractions (ϕ) from 0.28 to 0.44.
• Prediction of rheological parameters using YODEL and Krieger-Dougherty's equation.

Main Results:

• Rheological properties increased with solid volume fraction (ϕ), indicating better flowability at lower ϕ.
• YODEL accurately predicted yield stress (R² > 0.96) based on microstructural parameters.
• Krieger-Dougherty's equation accurately predicted plastic viscosity (R² > 0.94) using particle characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Both YODEL and Krieger-Dougherty's equation provide accurate, quantitative predictions without fitting parameters.
• These models are applicable to multimodal powder suspensions, enhancing cementitious material design.
• The study advances the understanding of SCM rheology and its predictive modeling.