Published February 3, 2025 | Version 1
Dataset Open

Drying of saturated cement paste and concrete: ultrasonic, gravimetric and strain measurements

Description

This dataset contains data collcted during an experiment on drying of cement paste and concrete. A short description of the dataset is given below. Further details are given in the dataset itself. This data has been generated within the framework of the DFG Research Unit Concrete Damage Assessment by Coda Waves (CoDA). For further details on the Research Unit, and related datasets we refer to the description of the community.

Before downloading the data, please read the technical information provided below.

Research Objective
The experiment was created to investigate the following research questions:
1.   Derivation of parameters of ultrasonic wave attenuation in cement paste and concrete.
2.   Investigation of the sensitivity of ultrasonic signals evaluated by coda wave interferometry with respect to internal moisture changes. Special focus on internal, spatial moisture gradients.

Part of this data was used for preparation of results published in the following article:
Saenger, E. H., Balcewicz, M., Vu, G., Jägle, E., Timothy, J.J., & Finger, C. (2026). A numerical approach to determine the intrinsic attenuation of concrete. Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering.

Methods

Experiment Description
Three ordinary Portland cement paste specimens of the same mixture (prepared with quarzitic powder to avoid shrinkage cracking) and two concrete specimens of different material were stored under water for over one year after casting. All specimens were equipped with two piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers embedded symmetrically into the material. The fully saturated samples were removed from the water and stored in a 20°C / 65% RH climate chamber for 6 months. During the drying process, the specimens were weighed regularly, and strain was measured using measuring marks and, if present, strain gauges. Ultrasound signals were recorded continuously for all three cement paste and one concrete specimen.
Ambient conditions (temperature and relative humidity) of the climate chamber were recorded for later interpretation of the data. 

Material Compositions
Cement Paste: OPC (CEM I 42.5 R); w/c 0.45; max. aggregate 0 mm (quartzitic powder)
Concrete 1: OPC (CEM I 52.5 R); w/c 0.60; max. aggregate 8 mm
Concrete 2: OPC (CEM I 52.5 R); w/c 0.60; max. aggregate 16 mm

The numbering of mixtures, specimens and sensors corresponds to the system used by the DFG Research Unit Concrete Damage Assessment by Coda Waves (CoDA). For further details on the Research Unit and related datasets we refer to the description of the community.

Technical info

Data is given in the follwing formats:

  • pdf
  • txt
  • xlsx
  • pkl
  • png
  • csv

Disclaimer: This dataset contains data in the pickle data format. It is possible to construct malicious pickle data which will execute arbitrary code during unpickling. More information can be retrieved in the respective documentation (https://docs.python.org/3/library/pickle.html). The Pickle files were created using protocol version insert version here. 

Table of contents

The dataset is structured as per experiment as follows:

01 Original Documents (not prepared for machine-readable use)
> Experimental Overview
> 01 Material Properties (casting and characterization)
   > mixture designs
   > material characteristics, e.g., compressive strength, static Young's modulus, porosity distribution (mip)
> 02 Associated Data (collected during drying)
   > ambient temperature and humidity
   > weight and strain data
   > static Young's modulus

02 Raw Data (prepared for machine-readable use)
> 01 Associated Data
   > weight and strain data
> 02 Ultrasonic Signals
   > ultrasonic signals collected over the 6 moths drying period

Other

About this Version

This dataset may be revised in future versions. Updates may include the addition of new matching data, as well as changes to data formatting, structure, or organization.

Files

Jaegle_etal_2025_Dataset_Drying.zip

Files (1.7 GB)

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Additional details

Additional titles

Translated title (German)
Trocknung von wassergesättigtem Zementstein und Beton: Ultraschall-, Gravimetrie- und Dehnungsmessungen
Alternative title
Ultrasonic data of cement paste and concrete with different moisture contents
Subtitle
Data from embedded ultrasonic transducers, weighing, measurement marks and strain gauges

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
FOR 2825: Concrete Damage Assessment by Coda Waves (CoDA) 398216472