Nondestructive monitoring on hydration behavior of cement pastes via the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy method

Abstract The hydration process in cement is considerably important for the resulting mechanical properties and service life of constructed projects. Through current methods, the nondestructive and continuous investigation of the hydration process of cement is not available. In current study, the nondestructive monitoring of the cement hydration process was achieved by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). To analyze the EIS data, a novel equivalent circuit model was established to characterize the cement hydration process electrochemically. During the hydration, both the hydration degree and the compressive strength have a positive correlation with the resistance parameter (Rct1) in the proposed model. Based on Rct1, the EIS method can trace and characterize the development stages of the hydration process non–destructively.