Abstract:The moisture adsorption tests were carried out on different cement pastes,mortars and concrete.The results from the adsorption isotherms and the pore distribution show that it is the hydrated gels that make cement-based materials have the ability of water retention,and non-hydrophilic agents,such as aggregates,contribute little for it.A rapid and direct method for obtaining the water retention curve of cement mortar and cement concrete,by combining measurement of the water retention curve of cement paste wi...