The Effect of Fiber End on the Bonding Mechanical Properties between SMA Fibers and ECC Matrix

Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of fiber end on the bonding mechanical properties between shape memory alloy (SMA) fibers and Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC), this study designed and fabricated five groups of specimens with variations in SMA fiber end shape, diameter and depth-to-diameter ratio. Direct tensile tests were conducted on these specimens under displacement control. The failure modes, stress–strain curves and various performance indicators were analyzed to evaluate the bonding mechanical properties and the effects of different factors. The results revealed that for straight-end SMA fibers, increasing the diameter and depth-to-diameter ratio both led to a decrease in bonding strength. On the other hand, the N-shaped end provided sufficient anchorage force for SMA fibers, resulting in a maximum pull-out stress of 926.3 MPa and a fiber strength utilization of over 78%. Increasing the fiber diameter enhanced the maximum pull-out stress and maximum anchorage stress for N-shaped-end SMA fibers but reduced the fiber strength utilization. These research findings provide a solid theoretical basis and data support for achieving a synergistic effect between SMA fibers and the ECC matrix.