Author Correction: Analysis of dryness in cement-based mixture via spectral imaging and dimensionality reduction

The fineness of cement directly influences the rate of hydration, as the hydration begins at the surface of the cement particles. In addition to hydration, the fineness of cement is vital for various properties of concrete including workability, gypsum requirement, and long-term behavior. The fineness of cement is represented in terms of the specific surface of cement which is typically measured in square meters per kilogram, with several methods available for this determination.
Direct...

The porosity of concrete is a measure of the void spaces within its structure. These spaces impact its strength and durability significantly. When water and cement interact, a chemical reaction called hydration creates a semi-solid paste. This paste includes combined water, making up approximately 23% of the cement's dry mass, and gel water, which fills minuscule voids known as gel pores, accounting for about 28% of the cement gel volume.
The balance of water to cement in the mix is...

Hydration of cement is a chemical reaction between cement particles and water. This process occurs primarily through two mechanisms: through-solution and topochemical. In the through-solution process, anhydrous compounds dissolve into their constituents, hydrates form in the solution, and then precipitate from the supersaturated solution. The topochemical process involves solid-state reactions at the cement particle surface. The through-solution process dominates the topochemical process at the...

The soundness of cement refers to the ability of cement paste to retain its volume after setting. Unsound cement can lead to expansion and structural damage due to the presence of free lime, magnesia, and calcium sulfate. Free lime hydrates very slowly, expanding and causing unsoundness, which is difficult to detect because it intercrystallizes with other compounds. Magnesia also reacts with water, forming crystals that can disrupt the cement's structure. Calcium sulfate can create...

Shrinkage in concrete is primarily due to water loss from evaporation, hydration of cement, or carbonation, leading to a reduction in volume. The volumetric contraction results in volumetric strain in concrete. However, in practice, shrinkage is measured as linear strain, which is one-third of the volumetric strain.
When concrete is still in its plastic state, it can undergo a decrease in volume by about 1% of its absolute volume. This decrease is known as plastic shrinkage. It arises either...

When hardened concrete is exposed to air with a relative humidity of less than 100 percent, it begins to lose the free water within its capillaries. As this water evaporates, the water initially adsorbed onto the calcium silicate hydrates migrates towards these now empty spaces and eventually evaporates as well. Over time, as more water leaves, the volume of the concrete decreases, a phenomenon known as drying shrinkage.
A portion of this drying shrinkage can be reversed; if the concrete is...