The application of computed tomography for characterizing the pore structure of building materials

Three-dimensional analyses of the pore structure of building materials are becoming progressively more important in recent years. The main goal is to obtain more accurate interpretations and simulations of their properties and performances. Computed tomography has proven to be an excellent and versatile tool to perform these analyses non-destructively. The reconstruction of the pore structure is of high importance for establishing accurate models, as it plays a crucial role in determining important characteristics of building materials such as their hygrothermal, mechanical, or acoustic properties. These models allow us to better understand the results of corresponding laboratory tests and in the near future might replace these time-consuming experiments. In this article, the strengths and weaknesses of computed tomography as a data acquisition technique are examined and discussed.