Adhesive characteristics of novel greener engineered cementitious composite with conventional concrete substrate

Abstract

Engineered cementitious composite (ECC) is a high-graded advanced construction material that can be used to strengthen and repair structural composites owing to its high mechanical and durability properties. Nevertheless, the ability of ECC to strengthen and repair concrete surfaces depends on the interfacial bond between the conventional concrete (CC) substrate texture and ECC overlay. It ensures sufficient adhesive or bonding ability over a lifetime under various loading and environmental conditions. The present study investigates the bond strength between CC substrate and modified ECC with agro-industrial by-products, such as ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), bagasse ash (BA), and rice husk ash (RHA). The bond strength is determined using three types of tests, namely the slant shear, split cylinder, and split prism tests. A mathematical model has also been developed to predict the bond strength of the different ECC mixtures. The results indicate that incorporating 40% GGBS, 10% BA, and 10% RHA in ECC helps in attaining the maximum interfacial bond strength with cross-hatched textures under all types of testing. According to the ACI standard, ECC with agro-industrial by-products ranging from 10% to 55% achieved the required bond strength in all three tests. Correspondingly, the outcomes of the present research are compared with those obtained from previous studies to gain further insights into various applications, which are highly relatable. Furthermore, the experimental outcomes were strongly correlated with the mathematical modeling with great accuracy.