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The thermodynamics of volume change and creep

  • Colloque RILEM Munich. 1–3 Avril 1968
  • Causes Physiques et Chimiques du Fluage et du Retrait du Béton
  • Published:
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Résumé

  1. 1

    A quelques exceptions près, les premiers observateurs du fluage du béton supposaient que la déformation en fonction du temps était due à l'écoulement plastique ou visqueux. On en, vient maintenant à penser que le fluage, de même que le retrait est un phénomène qui dépend de l'adsorption et de la désorption de l'eau et des phénomènes en relation. Pour comprendre le fluage, il faut d'abord comprendre le retrait et le gonflement. Une analyse de ces phénomènes à partir de la thermodynamique est particulièrement instructive et sûre, car en général elle ne dépend pas de la conformité du modèle de structure adopté pour la discussion.

  2. 2

    Un changement spontané de volume est dû à une modification de l'équilibre des forces et des réactions dans l'éprouvette il ne peut être dû aux seuls départs ou additions de molécules d'eau.

  3. 3

    Le volume d'un corps poreux varie avec la densité du matériau qui le constitue. La densité du matériau varie avec la pression hydrostatique, la température, ou encore avec une modification de la tension superficielle du matériau.

  4. 4

    Les modifications de tension superficielle affectent probablement à la fois la composante interne et la composante externe de la tension de courbure d'un matériau spécifique et inversement.

  5. 5

    La tension superficielle, qui n'est autre que l'énergie libre superficielle, varie avec la quantité d'eau adsorbée, et ce phénomène est fonction de la pression de vapeur ambiante à température constante. La modification de la tension superficielle d'un solide peut être calculée d'après la modification concomitante de l'humidité ambiante.

  6. 6

    Le changement de volume d'un corps correspondant à une modification donnée de la tension superficielle découle de la modification des composantes internes et externes; il est actuellement indéterminé et, dans tous les cas, c'est une petite fraction du volume total qu'on a à considérer.

  7. 7

    Les observations de la structure de la pâte montrent que l'eau adsorbée doit produire une pression disjonctive dans les espaces les plus étroits entre les solides o\`u l'adsorption est empêchée.

Summary

  1. 1

    With some exceptions, early observers of creep of concrete assumed that time-dependent strain is due to plastic flow or viscous flow. It is now becoming understood that creep, like shrinkage, is a phenomenon depending on adsorption and desorption of water and related phenomena. Understanding shrinking and swelling is prerequisite to understanding creep. An analysis of these phenomena based on thermodynamics is especially instructive and reliable because in general it does not depend on the correctness of the model of structure adopted for the discussion.

  2. 2

    Spontaneous volume change is due to a change in the balance of forces and counterforces within the specimen. It cannot be due to the removal or addition, per se, of water molecules.

  3. 3

    The volume of a porous body will vary with the density of the material of which it is made. Material density will vary with hydrostatic pressure, with temperature, or with change in surface tension of the material.

  4. 4

    Change of surface tension presumably affects both the inner part and the outer tension shell of particulate material, and oppositely.

  5. 5

    Surface tension, which is the same as surface free energy, varies with the amount of water adsorbed, and that is a function of ambient vapor pressure at constant temperature. The change in solid surface tension can be calculated from the concomitant change in ambient humidity.

  6. 6

    The volume change of the body corresponding to a given change in surface tension is the resultant of the change of the inner and outer parts, is at present indeterminate, and is in any case a small fraction of the amount of volume change to be accounted for.

  7. 7

    Data on paste structure show that adsorbed water must produce disjoining pressure in the narrowest places between solid bodies, where adsorption is hindered.

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  1. T. C. Powers
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Powers, T.C. The thermodynamics of volume change and creep. Matériaux et Constructions 1, 487–507 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02473638

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