Title
Improving mechanical properties and sustainability of high-strength engineered cementitious composites (ECC) using diatomite
Author
Zhu, Xuezhen (Central South University China)
Zhang, Minghu (Central South University China)
Shi, Jinyan (Central South University China)
Weng, Yiwei (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
Yalçınkaya, Çağlar (Dokuz Eylul University)
Šavija, B. (TU Delft Materials and Environment) 
Date
2024
Abstract
High-strength engineered cementitious composites (ECC) typically require higher cement content, which is negative from the sustainability point of view. To alleviate this problem, herein a low-cost and eco-friendly high-strength ECC (with a compressive strength of over 100 MPa) was developed, and diatomite was used to replace a small amount of cement. An appropriate amount of diatomite was found to improve the compressive strength, tensile strength and first cracking strength of ECC, but at the expense of part of the strain capacity (still all higher than 2.9%). Furthermore, the high pozzolanic activity and specific surface area of diatomite also increased the autogenous shrinkage, but reduced the drying shrinkage of ECC due to its internal curing effect. The incorporation of diatomite improved the pore structure of ECC, consumed more Ca(OH)2, and enhanced the hydration degree of the mixture. In the end, the economic and environmental benefits of diatomite-modified ECC were also evaluated, and the cost, non-renewable energy demand, and global warming potential of ECC with 3% diatomite were reduced compared to plain ECC by 12.9, 15.1, and 13.3%, respectively. The developed high-strength ECC is therefore a low-cost and eco-friendly alternative to the traditional one.
Subject
Diatomite
Engineered cementitious composites (ECC)
High-strength
Sustainability assessment
Tensile properties
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:13f9b1f0-2a1b-4147-a051-66ac364f1c11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-023-02283-w
Embargo date
2024-07-02
ISSN
1359-5997
Source
Materials and Structures, 57 (1)
Bibliographical note
Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.
Part of collection
Institutional Repository
Document type
journal article
Rights
© 2024 Xuezhen Zhu, Minghu Zhang, Jinyan Shi, Yiwei Weng, Çağlar Yalçınkaya, B. Šavija