Design and analyses of printable strain hardening cementitious composites with optimized particle size distribution

Since the advent of three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP), several studies have shown the potential of strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) as a self-reinforcing printable mortar. However, only a few papers focus on achieving sufficient buildability when developing printable SHCC. This study investigates the role of the...

Fundamental investigation on the frost resistance of mortar with microencapsulated phase change materials

Recent studies have shown that concrete containing Phase Change Materials (PCM) with low transition temperatures may reduce the number of freeze/thaw cycles suffered by the cementitious composite in temperate climates. Nevertheless, the positive influence of such admixtures on the frost resistance of cement-based materials has not been...

Deformation and fracture of 3D printed disordered lattice materials: Experiments and modeling

A method is presented to model deformation and fracture behavior of 3D printed disordered lattice materials under uniaxial tensile load. A lattice model was used to predict crack pattern and load-displacement response of the printed lattice materials. To include the influence of typical layered structures of 3D printed materials in the...

Frost Damage Progression Studied Through X-Ray tomography In Mortar With Phase Change Materials

The potential of using phase change materials (PCM) in cementitious materials to mitigate damage due to thermal loadings has been recently focus of intensive research. In the case of PCM with transition temperatures near to the freezing point of water, their potential to delay frost in a cementitious matrix has been largely investigated through...

On The Role Of Soft Inclusions On The Fracture Behaviour Of Cement Paste

Soft inclusions, such as capsules and other particulate admixtures are increasingly being used in cementitious materials for functional purposes (i.e. self-healing and self-sensing of concrete). Yet, their influence on the fracture behaviour of the material is sometimes overlooked and requires in-depth study for the optimization of mechanical...

Numerical investigation of crack self-sealing in cement-based composites with superabsorbent polymers

Recently the concept of crack self-sealing has been investigated as a method to prevent degradation and/or loss of functionality of cracked concrete elements. To obtain self-sealing effect in the crack, water swelling admixtures such as superabsorbent polymers (SAP) are added into the cementitious mix. In order to design such self-sealing...

Modelling strategies for the study of crack self-sealing in mortar with superabsorbent polymers

In this work, a numerical model is presented to predict the self-sealing effect provided by superabsorbent polymers (SAP) admixtures in mortar. Firstly, the use of a law of absorption kinetics for SAP embedded in a cementitious matrix was validated with experimental results available in literature. Secondly, two extreme strategies are considered...

Piezoresistive properties of cementitious composites reinforced by PVA fibres

The use of fibres to enhance the ductility of cementitious composites has been extensively studied for the past few years. The addition of polymeric or metalic fibres with random orientation to the composite or even natural long and aligned fibres demonstrated a very successful reinforcement capable to reach a high mechanical performance....

Development of ductile cementitious composites incorporating microencapsulated phase change materials

Abstract In the past two decades, much research has been devoted to overcoming the inherent brittleness of cementitious materials. To that end, several solutions have been proposed, mainly utilizing fibres. One of the most promising classes of materials is strain hardening cementitious composite (SHCC). It utilizes PVA fibres, and it is...

Microscale Testing and Modelling of Cement Paste as Basis for Multi-Scale Modelling

This work aims to provide a method for numerically and experimentally investigating the fracture mechanism of cement paste at the microscale. For this purpose, a new procedure was proposed to prepare micro cement paste cubes (100 × 100 × 100 µm3) and beams with a square cross section of 400 × 400 µm2. By loading the cubes to failure with a...