Modelling of permeability in cement-based materials .1. Uncracked medium

For a correct prediction of structural durability, it is of first importance to know the transport properties of concrete. In a first section, results of a micro-macro model to predict the water permeability of porous materials are presented. This model lays on the concept of a hierarchical lattice. The model is, in a first stage, applied to mortars. Thus it is extended and generalized to cement pastes and concretes. Numerical results are compared with data available in the literature. The model uses two phenomenological parameters: the former is related to the efficient porosity and the latter is related to tortuosity. These two parameters appear to be linked. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.