Experimental Evaluation of Mechanical and Durability Performance of Steel/PVA Fiber-Reinforced Engineered Cementitious Composites for Pavement Overlay

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Civil Engineering, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University

2 Department of Concrete Technology, Road, Housing & Urban Development Research Center (BHRC)

3 Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University

10.22124/jcr.2025.30520.1699

Abstract

This paper investigates the effects of hooked steel and polyvinyl alcohol fibers on mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, tensile strength, elastic modulus) and durability (water penetration under pressure, 30-minute and 24-hour water absorption, abrasion resistance, accelerated chloride ion penetration, electrical resistance, and scaling due to freeze-thaw cycles) of engineered cementitious composites for use as repair materials in concrete overlays through experimental studies. Results showed the 7-day compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and elastic modulus of the mixture containing 30 kg steel fibers had the greatest improvement compared to the fiber-free mixture with 40%, 13% and 24% increase respectively. The flexural strength and energy absorption of the mixture containing 1 kg polyvinyl alcohol fibers increased by 12% and 28% respectively compared to the fiber-free mixture, reaching 106 kN and 128 J. Water penetration depth under pressure was 4.5 mm for the fiber-free mixture and ranged between 3.5-4.5 mm for fiber-containing mixtures. The maximum reduction in 30-minute and 24-hour water absorption compared to the fiber-free mixture was 40% and 23% respectively, achieved by the mixture containing 1 kg polyvinyl alcohol fibers. The smallest abrasion width was 15 mm in mixtures containing 20 and 30 kg steel fibers, while the largest was 19 mm in the mixture containing 4 kg polyvinyl alcohol fibers. The lowest scaling due to freeze-thaw cycles and accelerated chloride ion penetration were 4.44 g/m² and 165 Coulombs respectively in the mixture containing 2 kg polyvinyl alcohol fibers. Considering the favorable results from durability tests, this cementitious composite ...

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References

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