Development of Infilled Cementitious Composites (ICC)

Infilled cementitious composites (ICC) are a new class of fiber composite materials featured by high sustainability and overall high performance. Successful mix design of ICC involves fiber-particle packing optimization, paste volume control and ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) technology, which are not easy so far. In this research, fiber-aggregate skeletons (FAS) were first manufactured utilizing four types of steel fibers at four fiber volumes blended with different sizes of coarse aggregates. Then, UHPC with a low water to cementitious materials (W/CM) ratio of 0.20 were prepared and infilled into the FAS to produce a total of 34 ICC mixes. The packing density of the FAS, the properties of UHPC and the ICC were systematically scrutinized and modeled for the first time.. Tests results demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of ICC over traditional UHPC, as evidenced by the reduced cost and embodied CO2 and the enhanced performance. The ICC should be a milestone in the development of fiber reinforced concrete with an overall ultra-high performance for both civil and military construction such as large-scale dams and shielding structures.