Open AccessRestrained Shrinkage-Induced Cracking of Light Weight High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites
Author(s) -
Faiz Uddin Ahmed Shaikh,
Hirozo Mihashi
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
american journal of engineering and applied sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1941-7039
pISSN - 1941-7020
DOI - 10.3844/ajeassp.2009.775.780
Subject(s) - shrinkage , cracking , materials science , composite material , cementitious , fiber , cement
Problem statement: Shrinkage induced cracking cause damage to reinforced concrete structures. An experimental study was conducted on restrained shrinkage test of cement mortar and light weight High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCC). Approach: Two types of light weight HPFRCC and a premix mortar containing small amount of fiber were included in the experiment. Results: Results showed the multiple cracks, as many as 49, in light weight HPFRCC specimens compared to few cracks (about six cracks) in the premix mortar specimen. At the end of shrinkage test, the width of the cracks in the mortar specimen was more than 250 μm with the largest crack width of about 400 μm. However, the scenario was quite different in light weight HPFRCC specimens, where the width of almost all cracks was less than 100 μm. Conclusion: The higher number of multiple cracks with small cracks width in light weight HPFRCC specimens due to drying shrinkage was due to their strain hardening and ductile behavior compared to quasi brittle behavior of premix mortar where less number of wide cracks was observed.