Hygral Behavior of Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC)

In this paper, the sorption isotherm and the hygral deformation of a tensile strain-hardening fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composite (ECC) is described using a physical model. The influence of using a low alkali content Portland cement on the physical mechanisms of drying shrinkage is discussed. From a durability point of view the crack width of a material as a result of restrained drying shrinkage deformations is more important than the total amount of drying shrinkage. In terms of crack width control the ECC shows a clear advantage compared to concrete. Due to the ultra-high strain capacity of ECC compared to concrete the use of ECC should be successful for applications where a high strain capacity and high durability are desirable.