EXPERIMENTAL STUDY AND MODELING OF COUPLED HEAT AND MOISTURE TRANSFERS IN CEMENT MORTAR

In spite of the broad use of cement mortar in construction field, its hygrothermal behavior is not clarified, up to now, satisfactorily, especially under the particular conditions of its use. A study is carried out on a block of cement mortar subjected to variations in temperature and humidity. Numerical and experimental approaches are used. For both approaches, the ambient conditions have a direct impact on the behavior of the wall. In parallel to the experimental approach, a model representative of heat and mass transfer, in multiphasic medium (cement mortar), is developed in order to predict hygrothermal behavior of the wall. This model is validated by confrontation of simulated and experimental results. This study would enable us to make an adequate design of the construction walls according to the climatic parameters