BEHAVIOUR OF STRAIN-HARDENING CEMENT-BASED COMPOSITES (SHCC) SUBJECT TO CYCLIC LOADING

Author(s): S. Müller, V. Mechtcherine and M. Zydek
Book Title: Seventh International RILEM Conference on High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites (HPFRCC7)
Editor: H.W. Reinhardt, G.J. Parra-Montesinos, H. Garrecht
ISBN: 978-2-35158-145-2
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-146-9
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2015
Pages: 333-340
Total Pages: 8
Language: English

Abstract: The safe use of Strain-hardening Cement-based Composites (SHCC) for structural and non-structural applications often requires a solid knowledge of the mechanical performance of this material under cyclic loading. In the previous investigations the behaviour of SHCC subjected to a relatively moderate number of loading cycles was studied in the tension regime. The article at hand presents the experimental results obtained from the fatigue tests performed with a considerably higher number of cycles both in tension regime and alternating tension–compression regime. The varying parameters under investigation were the size of the tensile strain increment in each loading cycle and the lower stress level. The experiments were performed on uniaxially loaded dumbbell-shaped specimens. The loading regime was deformation controlled up to the upper reversal point, by an incremental increase in strain. The bottom reversal point was at zero stress or at a stress level corresponding to 25% and 50% of the compressive strength, respectively. It was observed that the tensile strength and even more so the ultimate strain of SHCC decreased with decreasing strain increment, thus with increasing number of loading cycles. With respect to the strain capacity, this tendency became even much more pronounced in the case of alternating tension-compression loading. After mechanical testing, the crack patterns at surfaces of the specimens were analysed and optical investigations of the SHCC fracture surfaces were performed to provide insights into the failure mechanisms specific for the fatigue behaviour of SHCC. The experimental results are discussed in particular with respect to the identification and description of the determinant physical phenomena influencing the material performance.

Online publication: 2015
Publication Type: full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00