Increasing the Fatigue Resistance of Strain-Hardening Cement-Based Composites (SHCC) by Experimental-Virtual Multi-Scale Material Design

Abstract

Strain-hardening cement-based composites are a promising class of materials for a wide variety of applications due to their considerable tensile strength and pronounced ductility caused by the development of multiple fine cracks. Nevertheless, the safe use of such composites requires sound knowledge of their mechanical behaviour under different types of loading, particularly under fatigue loading, while considering distinct influences like initial crack width and fibre orientation. To deepen this knowledge, single-fibre pull-out tests on PVA-fibres from a cementitious matrix were carried out to gain information about the micro-mechanical and degradation processes of the fibre. It could be shown that the fibres tend to rupture instead of being pulled out under quasi-static loading. When changing the loading regime to alternating loading, this failure mechanism shifts to pull-out. By varying the experimental parameters such as initial crack width, inclination angle or compressive-force level a clear influence on the fibre’s crack bridging capacity could be observed associated with effects on the degradation processes. Based on the data obtained, a micro-mechanical numerical model was developed to support the assumptions and observations from single-fibre pull-out tests and to enable predictions of the performance of the material on the microscale under cyclic loading.

Strain Hardening of Polypropylene Microfiber Reinforced Composite Based on Alkali-Activated Slag Matrix

“…It is shown in papers [1][2][3]62] that it is necessary to increase the matrix density to achieve strain-hardening in composites with hydrophobic microfiber. An increase in density can be achieved by reducing the water-to-cement ratio using a superplasticizer and rheologically active mineral additives.…”

“…Recently attention is paid to the development of new compositions of cement matrices and the use of modified multicomponent fibers in strain-hardening cement composites subjected to static and dynamic loads [1][2][3][4] since construction practice shows a high demand for mineral composites with special deformation characteristics [5][6][7][8].…”