Effect of silica fume, steel fiber and ITZ on the strength and fracture behavior of mortar

Two sets of parameters known to affect the quality and thickness of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ), i.e. water/binder ratio and content of silica fume were varied in a series of mortars without and with steel fiber. Compressive and three-point bending tests were performed and the dissipated energies were calculated. Nanoindentation characteristics of the steel fiber–matrix and fiber–matrix-aggregate interfacial zones in the steel fiber reinforced mortars were studied. Influence of water/binder ratio, steel fiber, silica fume and ITZ on the strength and toughness of the mortar was analyzed, respectively. It is found that mortar compressive strength can be increased with low volume addition of steel fiber if the air content is well controlled; the interfacial characteristic and microstructural morphology near the fiber surface play a critical role on the three-point bending strength and the toughness of the steel fiber reinforced mortar.     

Simulation of single fiber pullout response with account of fiber morphology

A finite element model was developed at the single fiber length scale to predict the quasi-static pullout response of individual fibers from cementitious composites. The model accounts for energy dissipation through granular flow of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and matrix, plastic work in the fiber, and frictional dissipation at the fiber–ITZ interface. The considered fiber morphology was a triangular cross section that had been uniformly twisted along the fiber length. The model was calibrated to published experimental data for fiber pitches of 12.7 and 38.1 mm/revolution pulled from cement mortar with a 44-MPa unconfined compressive strength. The model was used to investigate slip-hardening behavior, tunneling of the cement mortar, in situ pullout behavior of helically twisted fibers at a crack plane, and provide an alternate explanation for the pullout response of twisted fibers from a 84-MPa unconfined compressive strength matrix containing silica fume. Calculations show that twisted fibers can provide up to 5 times the peak pullout force and 10 times the total work compared with straight fibers and infer work-hardening behavior during fiber pullout. The findings indicate that the tailoring of fiber morphology and control of constituent properties are important avenues for achieving significant improvements in the performance of fiber-reinforced cementitious composites.     

Crack/fiber interaction and crack growth resistance behavior in microfiber reinforced mortar specimens

Performance enhancement due to microfibers is well known. However, fracture processes that lead to strain hardening behavior in microfiber reinforced composites are not well understood. Crack growth resistance behavior of mortar reinforced with steel microfibers and polypropylene microfibers was investigated in-situ during load application. The polypropylene fibers were inter-ground in the cement mill to enhance the fiber/matrix interfacial frictional stress. A more homogeneous fiber distribution was observed in the inter-ground polypropylene composites compared to the steel microfiber reinforced composites. In steel microfiber reinforced composites the dominant toughening mechanisms were multiple microcracking and successive debonding along the fiber/matrix interface. Fiber pullout, the dominant mechanism in conventional macrofiber reinforced composites was rarely observed. In-situ observation of crack/fiber interaction in the inter-ground polymer fibers also revealed multiple microcracking along the length of the fibers followed by fiber pullout.     

骨料级配对二维模型混凝土单轴抗拉强度影响的理论研究

混凝土尺寸效应及其宏观力学非线性根源于其材料细观组成的非均质性。结合混凝土细观结构形式,将混凝土看作由骨料颗粒、砂浆基质及界面过渡区组成的复合材料。采用双线性弹性损伤模型来描述砂浆基质及界面过渡区的力学行为,假定骨料颗粒为弹性体而不发生破坏,进而推导并获得了单轴拉伸条件下不同骨料颗粒级配混凝土断裂裂缝扩展路径长度及其抗拉强度的理论解。最后,对比了建立的理论公式结果与细观尺度数值模拟结果,验证了构建的关于裂缝长度及抗拉强度理论解的准确性和合理性。     

Material and bond properties of ultra high performance fiber reinforced concrete with micro steel fibers

For investigating the effect of fiber content on the material and interfacial bond properties of ultra high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHPFRC), four different volume ratios of micro steel fibers (V_f = 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) were used within an identical mortar matrix. Test results showed that 3% steel fiber by volume yielded the best performance in terms of compressive strength, elastic modulus, shrinkage behavior, and interfacial bond strength. These parameters improved as the fiber content was increased up to 3 vol.%. Flexural behaviors such as flexural strength, deflection, and crack mouth opening displacement at peak load had pseudo-linear relationships with the fiber content. Through inverse analysis, it was shown that fracture parameters including cohesive stress and fracture energy are significantly influenced by the fiber content: higher cohesive stress and fracture energy were achieved with higher fiber content. The analytical models for the ascending branch of bond stress-slip response suggested in the literature were considered for UHPFRC, and appropriate parameters were derived from the present test data.     

Study of interfacial microstructure,fracture energy,compressive energy and debonding load of steel fiber-reinforced mortar

The properties of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of steel fiber and the bulk matrix were quantified using the backscattered electron imaging analysis (BSE-IA) and the scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), and their relationship with the mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced mortars was studied. The water and binder ratio (w/b) of mortar, the amount of silica fume and steel fiber were varied. From the quantitative analysis, a higher build-up of calcium hydroxide was found from the steel fiber’s interface up to 2 or 4 μm distance away and its build-up was reduced with the 10% cement replacement by silica fume. Porosity in the ITZ and bulk matrix decreased the fracture energy, compressive energy and debonding load of steel fiber-reinforced mortar. However, its effect became marginal if a substantial amount of C–S–H or steel fibers appeared in the ITZ and bulk matrix, which increased the studied mechanical properties.     

Influence of silica fume content on microstructure development and bond to steel fiber in ultra-high strength cement-based materials (UHSC)

The use of silica fume can significantly enhance mechanical properties of concrete given its beneficial filling and pozzolanic effects. In this study, a simple and effective double-side pullout testing method was adopted to characterize the interfacial bond properties, which include pullout load-slip relationship, bond strength, and pullout energy, of steel fiber-matrix in ultra-high strength cement-based material (UHSC) with 0–25% silica fume by the mass of binder. The effects of silica fume content on flowability, heat of hydration, compressive and flexural strengths, hydration products, and pore structure of matrix at different curing time were evaluated as well. Backscatter scanning electron microscopy (BSEM) and micro-hardness measurement were used to examine the quality of interfacial transition zone (ITZ) around the fiber. In terms of the results, the optimal silica fume content could be in the range of 15%–25%. UHSC mixtures with these dosages of silica fume showed significant improvement in pullout behavior. Its bond strength and pullout energy at 28 d could increase by 170% and 250% compared to the reference samples without any silica fume. The microstructural observation verified the findings on the macro-properties development. Formation of more and higher strength of hydration products and refinement of ITZ around the fiber ensured higher micro-hardness, and thus improved the bond to fiber.     

Influence of fiber and grain bridging on crack profiles in SiC fiber-reinforced alumina-matrix composites

Initial crack extension and crack propagation in sintered SiC fiber reinforced alumina matrix composites were observed in situ in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). In these composites, coupled toughening mechanisms associated with both grain and fiber bridging are operative in the crack wake. Their contribution to toughness were obtained from crack profiles measured in the crack wake at various applied loads and crack lengths. The crack profiles of the fiber reinforced samples reveal much smaller crack opening displacements compared to the monolithic samples. The fibers act as ligaments which bridge and thereby exert closure stresses on the crack surfaces. The profiles revealed pronounced reduction in the crack opening displacement (COD) around the fiber positions. Accordingly, grain bridging in the vicinity of the fibers was still operative up to an applied stress intensity factor of 5.7 MPa m^1/2 which is 30% above the maximum toughness that could be obtained with the monolithic samples for the same crack length.     

Effect of pozzolans on the performance of fiber-reinforced mortars

Randomly oriented short fibers have been shown to increase tensile strength and retard crack propagation of cement based materials such as fiber-reinforced mortars for diverse applications, especially in aggressive environments. In the case of reinforced concrete, it is very important to produce a “high quality” cover in order to prevent corrosion of the rebars. In order to obtain a high performance material the use of a pozzolan is advisable because low permeability is achieved. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of pozzolans such as silica fume (SF), fly ash (FA), and metakaolin (MK) on the properties of fiber-reinforced mortars. Different types of natural and synthetic fibers were used. A superplasticizer was used to keep the same workability as that of the control mortar. Results of the mechanical and durability properties of the fiber-reinforced mortars are reported. The results show that a loss of resistance due to embedding fibers in mortar is compensated for by the increase in strength caused by silica fume or metakaolin additions to the mortar. The addition of 15% of SF or MK produces an improvement of up to 20% and 68%, respectively, when compared with those mortars without addition. There is a significant decrease in the coefficient of capillary absorption and chloride penetration when a highly pozzolanic material is incorporated into the matrix. In general, these materials, especially SF and MK, improve the mechanical performance and the durability of fiber-reinforced materials, especially those reinforced with steel, glass or sisal fibers. The fly ash addition had a different performance, which could be attributed to its low degree of pozzolanicity.     

The mechanics of matrix cracking in fiber reinforced ceramic composites containing a viscous interface

A detailed fracture mechanics analysis of matrix cracking in a fiber reinforced ceramic composite is presented for the case where the fiber—matrix interface exhibits viscous flow as can be the case when ceramic composites containing amorphous interfacial layers are subjected to loads at elevated temperatures. The analysis considers the case where matrix cracks are fully bridged by fibers, and the role of the viscous interface is to introduce a time dependence into the stress-intensity formulations. Such time-dependence arises because the bridging fibers are able to pull out of the matrix by viscous interfacial flow, with the result that the crack opening, as well as the actual (or shielded) matrix crack-tip stress-intensity factor, increase with time under the action of a constant externally applied load to the composite. The differential equation governing the mechanics of the fiber pull-out is derived. This is then applied to obtain expressions for the time-dependence of the crack opening and the effective crack-tip stress-intensity factor in terms of material and microstructural factors. These expressions predict that the matrix crack will exhibit stable crack growth, with the crack growth rate being essentially crack length (and time) independent and a function only of the applied stress and of material and microstructural factors. It is also shown that the composite lifetime is independent of the sizes of pre-existing cracks and is dependent only on a critical microstructure dependent flaw size, applied stress and microstructural factors.     

Strain hardening behavior of lightweight hybrid polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber reinforced cement composites

Experimental results on the strain hardening and multiple cracking behaviors of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber reinforced cementitious composites under bending are reported in this paper. Different hybrid combinations of PVA fibers with different lengths and volume fractions are considered to reinforce the mortar matrix. Among different hybrid combinations, the composite containing 2% thicker PVA fibers of 12 mm length and 1% thinner PVA fibers of 6 mm length and the composite containing 2% thicker PVA fibers of 24 mm length and 1% thinner PVA fibers of 6 mm length showed the best performance in terms of highest ultimate load, largest CMOD (crack mouth opening displacement) at peak load and multiple cracking behavior. The effects of four types of light weight sands on the strain hardening and multiple cracking behavior of hybrid fiber composites are also evaluated in this study. It has been observed that the ultimate load and CMOD at peak load for all light weight hybrid fiber composites are almost the same irrespective of volume fractions of light weight sand. The composites containing finer light weight sands exhibited higher ultimate load than those containing coarser light weight sands. It is also observed that the hybrid fiber composite containing normal silica sand exhibited higher ultimate load than the composites with light weight sands.     

Effect of shrinkage reducing agent on pullout resistance of high-strength steel fibers embedded in ultra-high-performance concrete

The interfacial bond strength of long high-strength steel fibers embedded in ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) reinforced with short steel microfibers was investigated by conducting single-fiber pullout tests. In particular, the influence of the addition of a shrinkage-reducing to a UHPC matrix on the pullout resistance of high-strength steel fibers was investigated. The addition of a shrinkage-reducing agent produced a noticeable reduction in the fiber pullout resistance owing to the lower matrix shrinkage, although the reduction of pullout resistance differed according to the type of fiber. Long smooth and twisted steel fibers were highly sensitive to the addition of the shrinkage-reducing agent whereas hooked fibers were not. Among the various high-strength steel fibers tested, twisted steel macrofibers showed the highest interfacial bond resistance, although twisted fibers embedded in UHPC showed slip softening pullout behavior rather than the typical slip hardening behavior observed in mortar.     

On the fatigue response of bridging ductile fibers in an MoSi2 intermetallic composite

The fatigue response of bridging molybdenum fibers in an MoSi₂ matrix has been investigated. The composite consists of a MoSi₂-40% SiC matrix reinforced with alumina coated Mo fibers. Previous work demonstrated that the ductility and interfacial debonding of coated Mo fibers promoted high monotonic fracture resistance based on a bridging mechanism. The current study shows that debonding ductile fibers have also the potential to give adequate fatigue crack growth resistance. A tensile test was devised to measure the opening of a bridged crack as a function of number of cycles. The results suggest that if the applied stress is below a threshold stress governed by the flow stress of the ductile fibers, then the crack opening remains constant after a large number of cycles. This information can be used, in principle, to predict the crack growth rate in composites.     

CVD SiC fiber-reinforced barium aluminosilicate glass—ceramic matrix composites

Unidirectional CVD SiC (SCS-6) monofilament reinforced BaOAl₂O₃2SiO₂(BAS) glass—ceramic matrix composites have been fabricated by a tape lay-up method followed by hot pressing. The glass matrix flows around fibers during hot pressing resulting in nearly fully dense (95–98%) composites. Strong and tough composites having first matrix cracking stress of 250–300 MPa and ultimate flexural strength as high as 900 MPa have been obtained. Composite fracture surfaces showed fiber pullout with no chemical reaction at the fiber/matrix interface. From fiber push out, the fiber/matrix interfacial debond strength and the sliding frictional stress were determined to be 5.9 ± 1.2 MPa and 4.8 ± 0.9 MPa, respectively. The fracture surface of an uncoated SiC (SCS-0)/BAS composite also showed fiber/matrix debonding, fiber pullout, and crack deflection around the fibers implying that the SiC fibers may need no surface coating for reinforcement of the BAS glass-ceramic. Applicability of micromechanical models in predicting the first matrix cracking stress and the ultimate strength of these composites has also been examined.     

The influence of Poisson contraction on matrix cracking stress in fiber reinforced ceramics

The influence of Poisson contraction on the stresses for propagating a semi-infinite fiber-bridged crack in unidirectional fiber reinforced ceramics is studied in this paper. The situation of bonded fibers that is subjected to compressive pressure due to thermal expansion mismatch between the fiber and the matrix is considered in the present analysis. The results show that the Poisson contraction has profound effects on the matrix cracking stress predictions in the ceramic matrix composites, especially for the composites with high coefficient of friction. The Poisson contraction effects can be evidenced by the comparison of the present analysis with the Aveston, Cooper and Kelly (ACK) model. The roles played by the interfacial properties of the interfacial bonding energy and the coefficient of friction on the stresses for matrix cracking are discussed.     

Effect of polypropylene fiber on fracture properties of cement treated crushed rock

A parametric experimental study has been conducted to investigate the effect of polypropylene fibers on the fracture properties of cement treated crushed rock (CTCR), which is a new pavement composite material. By means of three-point bending method, the fracture toughness, fracture energy, the ultimate deflection in span center, critical crack mouth opening displacement, critical crack tip opening displacement, maximum crack mouth opening displacement and maximum crack tip opening displacement of the specimen of CTCR reinforced with polypropylene fibers were measured respectively. The test results indicate that the addition of polypropylene fibers is helpful to improve the fracture properties of CTCR. Polypropylene fibers have great improvement on the fracture parameters of CTCR. Besides, the fracture parameters increase gradually and the fracture relational curves are becoming plumper and plumper when the fiber volume fraction increases from 0% to 0.1%. Furthermore, the capability of polypropylene fiber to resist crack propagation of CTCR appears to be becoming stronger and stronger with the increase of fiber volume fraction with the fiber volume fraction not beyond 0.1%.     

单向纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料界面滑移规律

建立了分析单向纤维增强陶瓷基复合材料力学特性的界面摩擦模型。采用基体应变能准则对基体损伤状态进行预测; 由Weibull分布模型拟合出纤维断裂分数; 将界面磨损处理为纤维/基体相对滑移历程的函数τ_i=τ_i (Δδ), 很好地表征了不同位置纤维/基体相对滑移历程不同所引起的界面磨损程度的区别。运用该模型分析了准静态加载和拉-拉循环载荷下的应力-应变特性, 预测结果与实验数据吻合较好。最后采用此模型研究了任意载荷历程下界面的滑移规律。     

Mechanism for tensile strain hardening in high performance cement-based fiber reinforced composites

The mechanism responsible for the improvement in tensile strain capacity of FRC (fiber reinforced concrete) as a result of the addition of high volume fraction of discontinuous fibers was investigated, using energy changes associated with cracking. The energy terms considered include: matrix fracture energy, matrix strain energy. debonding energy, fiber strain energy and fiber frictional energy.

Assuming that the first observed crack is also the failure crack, it was found that multiple cracking occurs in high performance FRC. In such composites the energy needed to open the critical cracks exceeds the energy needed to form a new crack. The analysis predicts that the major energy term determining this behavior is the fiber debonding energy.

Multiple cracking was observed in fiber reinforced small densified DSP (particles) containing a high volume fraction (higher than 3%) of fine and short steel fibers. Because crack localization did not occur during multiple cracking, very large increases in total strain capacity were achieved with increasing fiber volume fraction. At 12% fiber volume fraction, a total strain capacity of about 0·2% was measured from flexures tests; an increase of about 15 to 20 times over that of the plain matrix.     

Failure processes of modeled recycled aggregate concrete under uniaxial compression

In order to investigate the failure processes of Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RAC), cracking behavior of modeled RAC specimens under compressive loading was investigated using Digital Image Correlation (DIC). Strain and displacement contour maps were produced to analyze the cracks’ initiation and propagation during loading. The testing results indicate that the discrepancy between the elastic moduli of coarse aggregates and mortar matrix significantly influences the mechanical properties and crack patterns of the modeled materials. It is found that the failure process is related to the relative strength of coarse aggregate and mortar matrix. For modeled RAC, the first bond cracks appear around both the old and new interfacial transition zones (ITZ), and then propagate into the old and new mortar matrix by connecting each other. The observation implies that the initiations and propagations of microcracks are different between RAC and Natural Aggregate Concrete (NAC). The findings in this investigation are useful to improve the mechanical properties of RAC by optimizing the mix proportion.