Ultrasound monitoring of a mortar hydration using Argand Diagram: The effect of sand grain size and temperature.

The reflection technique of ultrasonic waves was used for monitoring and nondestructively characterization of a mortar during its evolution. Using Argand Diagram to measure the resonant ultrasonic wave frequency and its width shows that they follow the rapidly changing in mechanical properties of the material at the young age. Both parameters increase during the time of hardening and also prove the effect of the sand particle size and temperature of the mortar properties. Moreover, measuring the width of the ultrasonic wave resonance allows distinguishing the different hydration phases of material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]