Gao S, Xie P. Effect of Temperatures and Moisture Content on the Fracture Properties of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC).
MATERIALS 2022;
15:ma15072604. [PMID:
35407935 PMCID:
PMC9000532 DOI:
10.3390/ma15072604]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This research will help to improve our understanding of the fracture properties of ECC at low temperatures (long-term low temperatures, freeze–thaw) and evaluate the safety properties of ECC under low-temperature conditions. Three levels of saturation (saturated, semi-saturated, and dry), four target temperatures (20, 0, −20, and −60 °C), and the effect of the coupled of the two on the mode I fracture properties of ECC were investigated. Then, we compared and analyzed the fracture properties of ECC loaded at 20 and −20 °C, after different freeze–thaw cycles (25, 50, 100 cycles), which were compared with saturated specimens without freeze–thaw at the four target temperatures to analyze the differences in low-temperature and freeze–thaw failure mechanisms. Temperatures and saturation have a significant effect on the fracture properties. Low temperatures and freeze–thaw treatments both decreased the nominal fracture energy of ECC. Distinct differences in matrix and fiber-matrix interface damage mechanisms have been discovered. Low temperatures treatment transforms ECC from a ductile to a brittle fracture mode. However, even after 100 freeze–thaw cycles, it remains ductile fractured. This study complements the deficiencies of ECC in low-temperature theoretical and experimental applications, and it sets the stage for a broad range of ECC applications.
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