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Recently, techniques for acquiring, analyzing, and using 3-D shape information for aggregates (sand, gravel) have been developed and demonstrated. These mathematical techniques, based on spherical harmonic coefficient analysis, have been applied to x-ray computed tomography images. X-ray microtomographic images of cement particles are required to be able to apply these mathematical techniques to analyze portland cement particle shape. Such images are available for a single reference cement in the Visible Cement Database. Actual cement images, as well as some quantitative results on the non-sphericity of the particles, are given here. Three dimensional cement particle shapes have never been available before. A demonstration of how real cement particle shapes will revolutionize the CEMHYD3D cement hydration model is also given.
Garboczi, E.
and Bullard, J.
(2004),
Shape Analysis of a Reference Cement, Cement and Concrete Research, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=860532
(Accessed October 7, 2025)