Design of cement-based materials with robust viscosity: from polymer solution scale to concrete scale

The current study aims at developing a multi-scale model for designing cement-based materials with robust viscosity. The influence of the constituent content on the plastic viscosity of cement-based materials was systematically studied from polymer solution scale to concrete scale. Our results suggest that the viscosity of the interstitial solution, the relative packing fraction of cement powders, and the surface-to-surface separation distances between cement particles dominate the plastic viscosity of cement paste. Our results further suggest that the plastic viscosity of the corresponding cement paste and the relative packing fraction of aggregates dominate the plastic viscosity of mortar and concrete. Based on the experimental validation, a generic multi-scale viscosity model is proposed. This model links the plastic viscosity of concrete to the content and property of constituents. Finally, the robustness assessment is given based on the proposed model. Graphical abstract