Cement-based materials (CBM) are the foremost construction materials worldwide. Therefore, there are widely accepted standards for their structural applications. However, for service life designs, current approaches largely depend on CBM strength class and restrictions on CBM constituents. Consequently, the service life behaviour of CBM structures is still analysed with insufficiently rigorous approaches that are based on outdated scientific knowledge, particularly regarding the cumulative behaviour since early ages. This results in partial client satisfaction at the completion stage, increased maintenance/repair costs from early ages, and reduced service life of structures, with consequential economic/sustainability impacts. Despite significant research advances that have been achieved in the last decade in testing and simulation of CBM and thereby predicting their service life performance, there have been no generalized European-funded Actions to assure their incorporation in standards available to designers/contractors. Therefore, the main purpose of this Action is to bring together relevant stakeholders (experimental and numerical researchers, standardization offices, manufacturers, designers, contractors, owners and authorities) in order to accelerate knowledge transfer in the form of new guidelines/recommendations, introduce new products and technologies to the market, and promote international and inter-speciality exchange of new information, creating avenues for new developments.
Cement based materials - Experimental testing - Numerical modelling of materials and structures - Early ages and service life - Guidelines/normalization and product development.
