A study on the fracture mechanical properties and propagation mechanism of coarse aggregate-engineered cementitious composites under preloading

IF 5.6 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL

Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-03 DOI:10.1016/j.tafmec.2025.105362

Zetian Zhang , Lei Xie , Xinjian Sun , Zhenpeng Yu , Ligang Jing , Xiaoli Xu , Yifan Shui

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Although Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) materials exhibit high ductility, their engineering application is restricted by high shrinkage rates and costs; moreover, under the action of historical loads (e.g., initial static loads), ECC may experience damage before reaching their ultimate bearing capacities. To improve the safety and economic performance of ECC, Coarse Aggregate-ECC (CA-ECC) specimens with 4 different CA contents were prepared in this study, and the effects of 4 different preloading ratios were investigated in order to evaluate the fracture properties of CA-ECC under preloading and to clarify the underlying mechanism from both macro- and micro-perspectives. The results showed that ECC containing CA maintained excellent mechanical properties and deformability, and appropriate preloading can effectively mitigate the negative effects caused by CA. When the CA content was 30 % and the preloading ratio was 60 %, the Crack Mouth Opening Displacement (CMOD) of the specimen retained approximately 35.5 % of that of the original ECC specimen, which was about 30 times that of ordinary concrete. Then, combined with Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and microscopic testing methods, the interface layer between each phase medium and the matrix of CA-ECC was analyzed, and the crack initiation and propagation trends were revealed. Further, by comparing macroscopic properties and microstructural characteristics, the unique “fiber-wrapping-CA” effect in CA-ECC and the influence of preloading on the action mechanism of this effect were clarified. Overall, the findings provide theoretical support for the design and engineering application of ECC materials.

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预压条件下粗集料工程胶凝复合材料断裂力学性能及扩展机理研究

尽管工程胶凝复合材料（ECC）具有高延展性，但其工程应用受到高收缩率和高成本的限制；此外，在历史荷载（如初始静荷载）的作用下，ECC可能在达到极限承载能力之前发生破坏。为了提高ECC的安全性和经济性，本研究制备了4种不同CA含量的粗骨料-ECC （CA-ECC）试件，并研究了4种不同预压比例对CA-ECC的影响，从宏观和微观两个角度评价了CA-ECC在预压下的断裂性能，并阐明了其潜在的机制。结果表明：含CA的ECC保持了优异的力学性能和变形能力，适当的预压可以有效缓解CA的负面影响。当CA含量为30%，预压比为60%时，试件的裂缝张开位移（CMOD）保持在原始ECC试件的35.5%左右，是普通混凝土的30倍左右。然后，结合数字图像相关（DIC）和显微测试方法，分析了CA-ECC基体与各相介质之间的界面层，揭示了裂纹的起裂和扩展趋势。进一步，通过对比CA-ECC的宏观性能和微观结构特征，阐明了CA-ECC中独特的“纤维缠绕- ca”效应以及预压对该效应作用机理的影响。研究结果为ECC材料的设计和工程应用提供了理论支持。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics 工程技术-工程：机械

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

18.90%

发文量

435

审稿时长

37 days

期刊介绍： Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics'' aims & scopes have been re-designed to cover both the theoretical, applied, and numerical aspects associated with those cracking related phenomena taking place, at a micro-, meso-, and macroscopic level, in materials/components/structures of any kind. The journal aims to cover the cracking/mechanical behaviour of materials/components/structures in those situations involving both time-independent and time-dependent system of external forces/moments (such as, for instance, quasi-static, impulsive, impact, blasting, creep, contact, and fatigue loading). Since, under the above circumstances, the mechanical behaviour of cracked materials/components/structures is also affected by the environmental conditions, the journal would consider also those theoretical/experimental research works investigating the effect of external variables such as, for instance, the effect of corrosive environments as well as of high/low-temperature.