Mechanical behavior of strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) for structural repair

Resumo

This article presents an experimental investigation on the mechanical behavior of Strain Hardening
Cementitious Composites (SHCC) reinforced with PVA, UHMWPE (ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene),
steel and hybrid fibers for structural repair. The total volume of fibers were kept constant at 2.0% in order to
maintain the workability of the composite system. PVA and UHMWPE fibers were partially replaced by steel
fibers in 0.5% and 1.0%. The mechanical response was measured under tension tests while crack formation was
investigated using a high-resolution image capturing procedure. The results have shown that PVA fibers have a
better performance than UHWMPE and steel fibers for normal strength matrices. It was also found that the partial
replacement of PE fibers by steel fibers has the benefit of increasing the strength, but it has the disadvantage of
reducing the strain capacity of the composite. Finally, the composites were used as structural repair in beams
subjected to previous damage, and the results verify the feasibility of SHCC as a repair material.