Experimental Study on Flexural Performance of PVA Fiber Reinforced Cement-Based Composites

As one kind of Engineering Cementitious Composites (ECC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber reinforced cement-based composites has specific strain hardening characteristics and multiple cracking properties. Thus it can exhibit excellent ductile properties and damage tolerance, which makes it being a potential material for critical components of seismic resistant structures. In order to investigate the flexural performance of PVA fiber reinforced cement-based composites, beam-type and sheet-type specimens made from PVA fiber reinforced cement-based composites were designed and four-point bending tests were conducted. The flexural toughness and flexural strength of PVA fiber reinforced cement-based composites were assessed via load-deflection curves. Experimental results indicate that PVA fiber reinforced cement-based composites can be used in critical structural components to mitigate the seismic response and to improve the seismic performance of structures.