Viscoelasticity and energy dissipation as indicators of flexural fatigue behavior in a ductile carbon fiber-reinforced cementitious composite

In this manuscript, we present research on the fatigue behavior of a cementitious composite reinforced with chopped carbon fibers. The fatigue life is determined by dynamic mechanical analysis, offering information about viscoelasticity in addition to more traditional damage indicators such as strain development. X-ray computed tomography was used to visualize microcracks during the fatigue experiment. Reinforced composites were found to be considerably longer-lasting than the unreinforced matrix material, as the fibers lead to significant pseudoductility and microcracking. A rise of inelastic events in the material's viscoelastic behavior was found to be an excellent early indicator of fatigue failure.