VCCTL is an integrated software package consisting of a graphical user interface and the underlying computer models and programs that allow users to create, simulation hydration of, and estimate the performance of 3D cement-based microstructures from a desktop computer. It is based on models originally developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and for over ten years its development was continued under the collaboration and guidance of an industrial consortium that comprised cement manufacturers, admixture suppliers, and NGOs including the Portland Cement Association (PCA), the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), and the International Center for Aggregate Research (ICAR).
Using the VCCTL software, a user may create 3D microstructures of cement paste made with portland cement clinker, calcium sulfate, fly ash, slag, limestone, and other materials. Hydration of these microstructures can be simulated under a variety of curing conditions, and the resulting hardened material can be analyzed for a number of properties including linear elastic moduli, compressive strength, and relative diffusion coefficients. A 3D packing of fine and coarse aggregates in mortar and concrete materials also can be created. The VCCTL software uses a relational database and plotting capabilities to facilitate viewing important characteristics of cement powders, supplementary cementitious materials, fillers, and aggregates.
VCCTL is available as a standalone application for Windows computers. The binary and the source code, together with complete documentation and a user guide, are available for public download.
Software
https://github.com/jwbullard/VCCTL
Publications
- JW Bullard, Virtual Cement and Concrete Testing Laboratory, Version 9.5 User Guide. NIST Special Publication 1173, US Department of Commerce, Washington DC, 2014. DOI: 10.6028/NIST.SP.1173
- DP Bentz, Three-dimensional computer simulation of cement hydration and microstructure development, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 80 (1997) 3-21. DOI: 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1997.tb02785.x
- EJ Garboczi, Finite Element and Finite Difference Programs for Computing the Linear Electric and Elastic Properties of Digital Images of Random Materials. NIST Interagency Report 6269, US Department of Commerce, Washington DC, 1998. Available for download here.