Effect of grain size on ductility and failure mechanism of fiber-reinforced coral sand cement-based composites

Abstract

Fiber offers the potential for enhancing the resistance to deformation in engineering cement-based composites (ECC). However, replacing quartz sand in ECC with coral sand containing a large number of internal pores will make the interaction between aggregate, interface transition zone, and cementitious materials more complex. To investigate the influence of coral sand particle size and Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber content on the compression behaviour and internal microstructure of fiber-reinforced coral sand cement-based composites (FRCSCC), we conducted uniaxial compressive strength tests and real-time measurements of P-wave and S-wave velocities. We tested various mechanical parameters, such as density, elastic modulus, compressive strength, wave velocities, and toughness index. The findings revealed a notable trend in relation to the coral sand particle size. Specifically, as the particle size increased, the compressive strength of FRCSCC decreased by 26 % and the elastic modulus reduced by 11 %. During uniaxial compression, the calculated cumulative voltage energy (CVE) from P-wave and S-wave can be divided into three stages: elastic deformation, microcrack and macrocrack propagation, and main crack formation. Moreover, the increase of coral sand particle size from 0.075 mm to 1.00 mm resulted in the rise of residual stress from 8.7 % to 18.2 %, followed by the increase of toughness index from 2.5 to 3.2. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images reveal that the main failure modes of PVA fiber in FRCSCC specimens during uniaxial compression are debonding pull-out and tearing. Larger particle sizes of coral sand are associated with uneven fiber dispersion, increased fiber fractures, and diminished ductility of the specimens. The results establish a theoretical foundation for offshore engineering construction.