Quantitative microstructural investigation of 3D-printed and cast cement pastes using micro-computed tomography and image analysis

Microstructural phases and mechanical properties of lamellar 3D-printed cast hardened cement paste (hcp) elements were investigated using a lab-based X-ray microscope at two levels magnification (0.4× 4×). K-means clustering was used for quantitative image analysis. The entire volume intact 3-days-old hcp characterized 0.4× magnification. Three microstructural features (macro-pores, micro-channels, interfacial micro-pores) found to reside in three distinct pore size domains. largest pores the element larger than reference element. Moreover, smallest sizes be smaller those present counterparts. Micro-channels connected one another through micro-pores regions, indicating presence uniquely patterned interconnected network. role locally weak porous interfaces on response fracture is discussed.