Abstract
In this paper, a microscopic analysis of prefinitelv strained cement paste specimen was carried out. The microscopic behavior of concrete under triaxial stress must be fully understood in order to explain the additional ductilitv that comes from lateral confinement and to get microstructural information in large deformed and large strained concrete. The so-called "tube-squash" test was applied to achieve enormously high shear and deviatoric strain of concrete under extremly high pressure without fracture. Then, microscopic analyses by focusing on hydration and microstructure of Prefinitely strained cement paste were carried out on cored-out deformed and virgin (undeformed) cement paste specimens : the first specimen being 40 days old, the second one being one year old. The microscopic analysis bv Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscope (FESEM) was carried out for comparison between the specimens after 40 days and those arter one year. For one year old specimens, X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD) analysis, Energy Dispersive x-rav Spectrometer (EDS) analysis, and Differential Thermal Analysis/Thermo-Gravitv (DTA/TG) analysis were also carried out to study the hydration and the microstructures of prefinitely strained cement paste specimen by focusing on the methodologies of their microscopic analyses. analyses.
