Progress in understanding hydration mechanisms of alite and Portland cement is reviewed.
Up to the end of the induction period, dissolution rates determined by the undersaturation of …

The development of green cements, with the aim of reducing CO 2 emissions, often results
in reduced hydration activity, especially during the first hours and days. Nucleation seeding …

The early hydration of UHPC can be retarded by the low water/binder ratio, the high
polycarboxylate superplasticizers dosage, and the large supplementary cementitious …

Cement is the ubiquitous material upon which modern civilisation is built, providing long-
term strength, impermeability and durability for housing and infrastructure. The fundamental …

Optimising the hydration of cementitious materials is crucial to leverage their full potential
and avoid wasting resources, embodied energy and CO 2. Understanding the fundamental …

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an atomic-level method to
determine the chemical structure, 3D structure and dynamics of solids and semi-solids. This …

It has been long recognized that low air pressure (AP) affects the moisture transfer in
concrete, and thus its microstructure and bulk property, but less is known about the …

Abstract The Calcium Silicate Hydrate (CSH) nucleation is a crucial step during cement
hydration and determines to a great extent the rheology, microstructure, and properties of …

The formation of CSH in cementitious materials is critical to their gain in strength. As one of
the key parameters, pH is reported to affect the nucleation and growth of CSH; however, the …

High-value utilization of steel slag in cement is limited due to its low reactivity, volume
instability, and restrictions in the construction industry. In this study, a novel steel slag binder …