Investigation of gradient properties for cement mortar interfacial transition zones and its effects on mechanical characteristics using micro-CT

The interfacial transition zone (ITZ) in cement-based composites with aggregates is widely recognized as the most vulnerable component, greatly affecting their physical and mechanical properties. In this study, the effect of the ITZ characteristics on the mechanical behavior of cement mortar using its actual microstructure was investigated with image-based numerical approaches in this study. The volumetric information of the ITZ of the mortar sample was obtained and characterized from high-resolution synchrotron micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) images. The mechanical properties of the mortar were evaluated using the finite element method, based on the components characteristics represented by grayscale information of the micro-CT images. It was found that the adhesion between the aggregates and binder was well replicated in the simulation with the multiple-phase model, based on the gradient characteristics and properties of the ITZ. Considering the ITZ thickness according to the aggregates size, a more realistic crack propagation trend can be observed. The obtained results confirmed the significant influence of the ITZ thickness and phase distribution characteristics on the mechanical properties of cement mortars, emphasizing the importance of considering ITZ phases for accurate material analysis.