Time-Dependent Structuration of Cement Pastes with Mineral Additions: A Yield Stress-Based Approach

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Abstract
The time-dependent structuration of cement pastes is a key parameter governing the fresh-state behavior of modern concretes. This study investigates the influence of four supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs): fly ash (FA), slag (S), limestone filler (LF), and metakaolin (MK) on both the total and irreversible structural build-up of cement pastes, under various temperatures (5, 20, 30 °C) and a constant replacement level of 30% at w/b = 0.45. Static yield stress was measured using a vane rheometer with or without re-shear to distinguish between the total (without re-shear) and irreversible (with re-shear) structural build-up. Complementary tests, including mini slump flow, isothermal calorimetry, and bleeding analysis, were conducted to assess the effect of SCMs on rheology, hydration and stability. Results show that all SCMs significantly reduced the rate and intensity of structural build-up compared with reference cement paste: after 90 min at 20 °C, the static yield stress (total structural build-up) was 1740 Pa for the reference mix and between 420 and 840 Pa for the blended systems. The irreversible fraction remained low (<10%) for all blended systems, confirming that early-age structuration is mainly governed by reversible flocculation rather than by hydration-driven bonding. Temperature significantly accelerated the total structural build-up in all mixtures; at 30 °C, the total build-up of slag-, LF-, and MK-blended pastes approached that of plain cement. However, while the reference cement paste exhibited a clear increase in irreversible structuration (from 25% at 20 °C to 35% at 30 °C), SCM-containing systems remained largely governed by reversible mechanisms, with the irreversible fraction consistently below 10%. These findings highlight the distinct roles of particle morphology, clinker dilution, and hydration kinetics in governing early structuration. Understanding these coupled mechanisms is essential for optimizing low-clinker binders used in self-compacting and 3D-printable concretes, where balancing flowability and early stability is critical.

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