Tensile Behaviour of Slag-based Engineered Cementitious Composit

Abstract

Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) have become another alternative in the concrete industry due to their excellent strain capacity under uniaxial tension. Research and development for new ECC mix incorporating wastes remain open to fulfil the industrial needs to produce green and sustainable ECCs. This paper presents the experimental work on the tensile and cracking behaviour of ECCs utilising industrial waste, namely ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), to replace cement. A total of four slag-based ECC mixes containing 2%–2.5% of PVA fibres and 50%-60% GGBS were investigated under uniaxial compressive and tensile tests. Compressive strength, tensile strength and the crack behaviours of the slag-based ECCs were evaluated and compared with a control mix. The experimental results show that the slag-based ECCs can achieve tensile strain capacity 2.6 %–2.75 % and ultimate tensile strength 1.43 MPa–2.82 MPa at 28 days. It was also found that the ECCs with GGBS and fibres formed few hairline cracks at the gage of the dog bone compared to brittle fracture in the control specimens.