LAUSR

In this study, based on experimental data obtained from uniaxial and triaxial compression tests, it is proposed to investigate effects of chemical leaching on elastic and plastic properties of cement-based materials. To this end, a non-associated elastic–plastic model is assessed for the description of mechanical behaviour of the cement paste. It is found that there is a decrease in elastic modulus, a decrease in uniaxial compression strength and an increase in failure surface non-linearity due to the chemical degradation. The increase in porosity is the main consequence of the microstructural degradation of material and can be used as an internal variable for describing the effects of chemical leaching on mechanical properties of the cement paste. The elastic–plastic model is then extended to include the evolution of porosity and evaluated against a series of laboratory tests performed on cement paste and mortar.