Effect of High Volume Fly Ash Concrete in Self-Curing Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC)

Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) is a special type of high performance fibre reinforced cementitious composite having uniquely high ductile and tensile properties. Reducing the usage of cement in ECC by using less energy intensive binders is a step in the attainment of sustainable development to reduce greenhouse gases. River sand is also becoming a scarce commodity and hence exploring alternatives to it has become important. This paper focuses on characterizing the mechanical properties of an Eco – friendly ECC with High Volume Fly Ash (HVFA) content, manufactured sand and Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Fibre. Experiments were conducted for finding the mechanical properties of ECC by the influence of HVFA (60%, 70% & 80%) content, Self-curing Agent (Polyethylene Glycol 600) and Calcium Carbonate. The results show that the mechanical properties of HVFA-ECC having fly ash up to 70% are comparable with those of ECC without fly ash. Addition of CaCO3 and self-curing agent contributed for the early strength development and an alternative for water curing in HVFA-ECC.