Mix design of strain hardening cementitious composites through multiscale and multiphysics models

• Main Author: Li, Junxia
• Other Authors: Dong Zhili
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Physics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/72243
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCC) have been developed and applied in the field, but having no appropriate mix design method constrains its growth significantly. This thesis demonstrates the multiscale and multiphysics philosophy to develop the design method of SHCC. Two main difficulties have to be overcome in order to come up with a mix design method for SHCC. Firstly, the variability of microstructural properties and the macroscopic composite nature of SHCC have to be considered. Based on the existing deterministic-based micromechanics model of SHCC, a probabilistic-based micromechanics model (PMM) is proposed to perform reliability assessment of the specified mix design with considering all possible variations of micromechanical parameters. Correspondingly, a new model of predicting the tensile properties of SHCC is developed which can take all the variability into account as well. Secondly, it is requisite to relate factors of mix design to micromechanical parameters which makes the mix design method for SHCC become a reality. By virtue of this relationship and the model of tensile properties, factors of mix design can relate to the ultimate composite performance, which means that the ultimate tensile properties can be predicted given the designed mix of the composite. Consequently, a systematic mix design method for SHCC is proposed involving selection of raw materials, prior prediction of strain hardening behavior and output reliable composite performance of desired mix.