Identification of the physical parameters used in the thermo-hygro-mechanical model (application to the case of cement mortar)

This paper describes different methods used to identify a large number of p hysical parameters of the thermo-hygro-mechanical coupling model. This mode l is developed on the basis of mechanics of porous media and deals with the prediction of response of a structure submitted to thermal, hygrometric an d mechanical loading. The aim of this work is mainly to propose some experi mental methods for the determination of physical parameters used previously in the model such as hygrometric parameters (liquid Biot's coefficient b(l ), vapour and liquid permeability pi (v), pi (1) and tangent capillary modu lus N-11). Thermal parameters such as thermal conductivity (lambda), specif ic heat (C) and the thermo-hydrous expansion coefficient (alpha (p)(i)) hav e been identified using some works published previously. The different phys ical parameters were identified in the case of cement mortar without taking into account the influence of hysteresis.