Due to entrapped air, cement paste never completely fills the space between aggregate particles. This allows absorption of water and passage of water under pressure and is known as

Due to entrapped air, cement paste never completely fills the space between aggregate particles. This allows absorption of water and passage of water under pressure and is known as

• A. Permeability
• B. Porosity
• C. Absorption
• D. Void ratio

Answer: (B)

Porosity is the fraction of a material’s total volume that is void space. In cement paste between aggregate particles, entrapped air leaves gaps that aren’t filled with solid material. These voids can hold water (absorption) and, if the pores are connected, allow water to move through the material under pressure. Porosity describes how much of the material is empty space available to contain and transmit water, whereas permeability depends on how interconnected those spaces are. Void ratio is a term more common in soils and isn’t the best fit for describing this concrete situation. So the described behavior is best explained by porosity.

Porosity is the fraction of a material’s total volume that is void space. In cement paste between aggregate particles, entrapped air leaves gaps that aren’t filled with solid material. These voids can hold water (absorption) and, if the pores are connected, allow water to move through the material under pressure. Porosity describes how much of the material is empty space available to contain and transmit water, whereas permeability depends on how interconnected those spaces are. Void ratio is a term more common in soils and isn’t the best fit for describing this concrete situation. So the described behavior is best explained by porosity.