Distribution of porosity surrounding a microfiber in cement paste

This study investigates the microstructural changes of cement paste due to the inclusion of polymeric microfiber at different water-to-cement (w/c) ratios. A procedure to quantify the porosity of epoxy impregnated interfacial transition zone (ITZ) is also presented. Results show that the microstructures of the ITZ beneath and above a...

A New Method to Quantitatively Characterize the Porosity of Fiber/Matrix Interfacial Transition Zone (ITZ) via Longitudinal Cross-Sections

The properties of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between microfiber and cement-based matrix are of primary significance for the overall behavior of strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs). However, due to the relatively small diameter of polymeric microfibers (e.g., PVA fiber), it is technically difficult to obtain...

On the Potential of Lattice Type Model for Predicting Shear Capacity of Reinforced Concrete and SHCC Structures

Different analytical models exist to predict the shear strength of reinforced concrete members. Generally, each of these shear strength models consists of a formulation based on certain underlying theory and fitted model coefficients. The model fitting parameters are usually established from the comparison with test data. Hence, the predictive...

Micromechanical properties of a new polymeric microcapsule for self-healing cementitious materials

Self-healing cementitious materials containing a microencapsulated healing agent are appealing due to their great application potential in improving the serviceability and durability of concrete structures. In this study, poly(phenol-formaldehyde) (PF) microcapsules that aim to provide a self-healing function for cementitious materials were...