High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites as Durable Material for Concrete Structure Repair

This paper addresses the property requirements of repair materials for high durability performance for concrete structure repair. It is proposed that the high tensile strain capacity of High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites (HPFRCC) makes such materials particularly suitable for repair applications, provided that the fresh properties are also adaptable to those required in placement techniques in typical repair applications. A specific version of HPFRCC, known as Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC), is described. It is demonstrated that the fresh and hardened properties of ECC meet many of the requirements for durable repair performance. Recent experience in the use of this material in a bridge deck patch repair is highlighted. The origin of this article is a summary of a keynote lecture with the same title given at the Conference on Fiber Composites, High-Performance Concretes and Smart Materials, Chennai, India, Jan., 2004. It is only slightly updated here.