Modelling the effect of electrical current flow on the hydration process of cement-based materials

Stray current is essentially an electrical current “leakage” from metal conductors and electrical installations. When it flows through cement-based systems, electrical energy is converted to thermal energy that causes increasing temperature due to Joule heating phenomena. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the influence of electrical current flow on cement hydration, morphological and structural changes of cement-based systems, emphasizing on the potentially altered temperature effects when electrical current flow is involved. Calorimetry tests show that degree of cement hydration increases as a results of temperature increase due to electrical current flow through cement-based systems. To evaluate the influence of electrical current on the hydration mechanisms in cement-based systems, HYMOSTRUC will be used as a modelling approach, where temperature effects due to electrical current flow are implemented in the existing numerical simulation