Moisture migration and drying properties of hardened cement paste and mortar Original Research Article

The moisture migration and drying properties of hardened cement paste and mortar are studied experimentally and analytically. Thin-wall cylindrical specimens with a thickness of about 1.0 mm are used to reduce hygral gradients. The specimens are loaded with different compressive stresses in the range 0–11 MPa. Two test series are perfirmed: loss of water (test 1) and migration of moisture through the thin wall of the specimens (test 2) are measured: Furthermore, the experimental results are analyzed as a non-linear diffusion process, by means of the finite element method. The effects of the compressive stress and aggregates are discussed, referring to the diffusion coeffients obtained.