Simulation of the flow of fresh cement suspensions by a Lagrangian finite element approach

In this paper a Lagrangian formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations, based on a Particle Finite Element Approach, is applied to the simulation of theological tests for homogenized cement pastes and mortars. i.e. the L-box, slump and mini-slump and Marsh cone tests. Comparisons with both experiments and analytical predictions are addressed by assuming a simple Bingham-like constitutive model. The analyses explicitly and automatically account for the presence of evolving free surfaces thanks to a continuous re-triangulation of the domain. These feature and the excellent accuracy obtained in the benchmarks addressed make the proposed approach an ideal tool for more advanced applications. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.