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Capillary effects such as imbibition-drying cycles impact the mechanics of granular systems over time. A multiscale poromechanics framework was applied to cement paste, that is the most common building material, experiencing broad humidity variations over the lifetime of infrastructure. First, the liquid density distribution at intermediate to high relative humidities is obtained using a lattice gas density functional method together with a realistic nano-granular model of cement hydrates. The calculated adsorption/desorption isotherms and pore size distributions are discussed and compare well to nitrogen and water experiments. The standard method for pore size distribution determination from desorption data is evaluated. Then, the integration of the Korteweg liquid stress field around each cement hydrate particle provided the capillary forces at the nanoscale. The cement mesoscale structure was relaxed under the action of the capillary forces. Local irreversible deformations of the cement nano-grains assembly were identified due to liquid-solid interactions. The spatial correlations of the nonaffine displacements extend to a few tens of nm. Finally, the Love-Weber method provided the homogenized liquid stress at the micronscale. The homogenization length coincided with the spatial correlation length nonaffine displacements. Our results on the solid response to capillary stress field suggest that the micronscale texture is not affected by mild drying, while local irreversible deformations still occur. These results pave the way towards understanding capillary phenomena induced stresses in heterogeneous porous media ranging from construction materials, hydrogels to living systems.
Drying induced cracking of concrete surfaces and repair layers is a common problem. A principal cause for this type of cracking is the moisture and resulting contraction gradient that develops in the cement paste matrix upon drying. This phenomenon h
Cement is one of the most produced materials in the world. A major player in greenhouse gas emissions, it is the main binding agent in concrete, to which it provides a cohesive strength that rapidly increases during setting. Understanding how such co
Wet granular materials are characterized by a defined bond energy in their particle interaction such that breaking a bond implies an irreversible loss of a fixed amount of energy. Associated with the bond energy is a nonequilibrium transition, settin
We study diffusion of heat in an aqueous suspension of disc shaped nanoparticles of Laponite, which has finite elasticity and paste-like consistency, by using the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We estimate the thermal diffusivity of the suspension by c
Mycelium-bound composites are promising materials for sustainable packaging, insulation, fashion, and architecture. However, moulding is the main fabrication process explored to date, strongly limiting the ability to design the complex shapes that co