Design Method on Flexural Behaviour of Singly-Reinforced PVA-ECC Beams

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol-engineered cementitious composite (PVA-ECC) is superior to normal concrete in terms of tensile strain capacity and crack mitigation. On account of the significant strain-hardening behaviour, the tensile strength of PVA-ECC should be considered in the design of reinforced PVA-ECC members. In this paper, a design method is proposed to evaluate the flexural resistance of reinforced PVA-ECC members based on the classified failure mode. Simplified constitutive models in compression and tension are adopted in the design method. Limiting reinforcement ratios, namely, minimum reinforcement ratio, balanced reinforcement ratio and yielding reinforcement ratio, are also determined for different failure modes of beams. Finally, the design method is validated by test results of singly reinforced PVA-ECC beams from different literature to assess its accuracy. Comparisons between experimental and analytical results show that the design method is reasonably accurate in estimating the load-bearing capacity of reinforced PVA-ECC beams.