Toughening of Cement-Based Materials with Fiber Reinforcement

Abstract

AbstractToughening of cement-based materials when reinforced with relatively high fiber volume is studied in the paper. Toughening mechanisms of composites have been experimentally studied by quantitative image analysis, laser holographic interferometry, and acoustic emission. It is found that damage localization in cement-based materials can be greatly reduced by the use of fibers. Based on fracture mechanism observed, an R-curve approach has been proposed to predict toughening of matrices due to fiber reinforcement. Theoretical predictions show good agreement with experimental results.