Cement design should take into account the water confined in the smallest pores

Cement paste has a large amount of water in its structure, and much of it is confined in the smallest pores of the cement which are about one manometer in size. The extreme temperatures in which cement finds itself in certain infrastructures, such as oil wells, lead to changes in water state, which in turn cause internal stresses in the cement. Scientists have characterized the physics of this water in order to contribute towards better cement design.