Toughness of ECC evaluated by nominal fracture energy

ECC (Engineered Cementitious Composites) has ultra-high toughness and can be used in the zone needing the ultra-high tensile strain and very high durability. In order to investigate the toughness of ECC, the normal fracture energy GF is calculated and compared with ordinary concrete. The influence of the matrix (fly ash, silicon fume), the fiber (glass fiber, steel fiber and PVA fiber) and the fiber volume ratio on the GF of ECC are analyzed. The research indicates that silicon fume and glass fiber, steel fiber are all not able to be used in ECC. But flash ash and PVA fiber are very suit for using in ECC, the toughness of ECC increases with the increase of their content.