2018 Volume 29 Pages 1-10
To characterize the nonlinearity of thermal expansion coefficients dependent on the moisture content of hardened cement paste, samples of hardened cement paste were used to experimentally determine the coefficient of temperature dependency of relative humidity, the hygrothermic coefficient, defined as (∂h/∂T)θ, where T = temperature, h = relative humidity, and θ = moisture content. The relative humidity at which an equilibrium state was reached at 25°C and 35°C during the first desorption process of saturated samples was measured. The relationship between the relative humidity values and the corresponding hygrothermic coefficients was found to have a convex profile with approximately three- to four-fold higher values than those measured during the adsorption of dried samples.
