Paste
Summary
Paste - consists primarily of cement and water, with the purpose of binding the aggregate in concrete on setting.
Technical Information
The paste gives fresh concrete its workability and cohesion, and gives hardened concrete its tensile strength and cohesion.
The paste is the concrete constituent which is the most susceptible to degradation and chemical attack; due to its greater porosity than the aggregate. Acting as the binder in concrete, the tensile strength of the concrete is dependent on the tensile strength of the paste. Because it is much weaker than the aggregate, the strength of the concrete is completely reliant on the strength of the paste.
Water / Cement ratio is key in the construction of concrete elements as it defines the workability and the strength of the concrete. Paste to aggregate ratio also affects the ultimate tensile strength and the workability of the final product.
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