What is
ECC
Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) is a special class of high performance fiber reinforced cement-based composites (HPFRCCs)
ECC was characterized by the ductile pseudo strain-hardening behavior under direct tension, with an ultimate strain capacity often reported to be as high as 5%, which is a hundred times or more that of traditional concrete. It is worth noting that ECC has excellent crack width control capabilities, and can restrain the average crack width to less than 60 μm until failure.
Mechanics
Durability
The superior crack-width control ability enables ECC to possess excellent durability. Alternated the traditional concrete by ECC, benefit from the intrinsic crack-width control ability of ECC, delaying the propagation of aggressive chemical ion to steel bars, and prevent the cover spalling.
In Japan and the United States, ECC was used in bridge expansion joints to solved long-term deterioration. After 100,000 fatigue tests, the overall behavior had not deteriorated, and crack control was excellent. In addition, Hokkaido, Japan used ECC on the bridge deck, so the total static load was reduced by 40%, so the project cost was reduced by 50%. ECC is also suitable for repair materials, and the strength can be customized according to requirements. Besides, the application of ECC, including building, transportation, and water infrastructure. In other words, it has a wide range of applications and continues to grow.