Electromechanical response of strain-hardening fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (SH-FRCCs) under direct tension: A review

This review summarizes the electromechanical response of strain-hardening fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (SH-FRCCs) under direct tension. SH-FRCCs have recently demonstrated self-stress, -strain, and -damage sensing abilities even after first cracking in addition to their superior mechanical resistance based on their tensile strain-hardening response. The measurement methods for electromechanical response of SH-FRCCs under direct tension generally used direct current (DC), four-probe method, and attached electrode. The electrical resistivity measured using a DC source of SH-FRCCs containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers under direct tension increased owing to the low electrical conductivity of the bridging PVA fibers, whereas that of SH-FRCCs containing steel fibers decreased owing to the high electrical conductivity of steel fibers. The self-sensing capacity of SH-FRCCs under direct tension could be successfully evaluated using the change in the electrical resistivity (Delta rho). The self-damage sensing ability of SH-FRCCs containing PVA fibers was mainly dependent upon the width of microcracks whereas that of SH-FRCCs containing steel fibers was strongly dependent upon the number of microcracks.