Compressive Behavior of Engineered Cementitious Composites under High Strain-Rate Loading

Engineered cementitious composite (ECC) is a cement-based material, commonly mixed with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber or polyethylene (PE) fiber as reinforcing materials. This paper reports the test results of ECC materials under high strain-rate compression, using a 100-mm diameter split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) device. The stress-strain relationships under different strain rates are obtained and discussed. It is found that both the ultimate strength and the corresponding strain of ECC increase with the augmentation of strain rate, indicating that the compressive behavior of ECC is sensitive to the strain rate. The dynamic increase factors (DIFs) for strength and strain at strength are discussed.