Tension and Cyclic Behavior of High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites

Abstract

In this research the constitutive behavior of high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCCs) was evaluated experimentally under uniaxial monotonic tension and cyclic loading. The experimental program included 10 different mixtures manufactured using two fiber types, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers and twisted steel fibers, with ratios of 1%, 2%, and 3% by volume of the mixture. Mixtures were manufactured containing one fiber type, referred to here as a mono mixture, or containing both fiber types, a hybrid mixture. A testing jig and a testing procedure were developed to evaluate the response of HPFRCCs under monotonic tension loading, cyclic tension-only loading, and cyclic tension-compression loading. The testing results provide benchmark cyclic constitutive curves for mono and hybrid HPFRCC mixtures. In addition, the testing results indicate that the hybrid mixtures achieved an overall improved performance compared to the mono mixtures. On average, hybrid mixtures achieved better performance compared to PVA and steel mono mixtures by achieving higher toughness, higher energy absorption capacity during hardening, higher energy absorption capacity during softening and moderate toughness reduction during cyclic loading.