Date of Award

5-2025

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Departmental Honors

Department

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Abstract

Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) is a class of ductile fiber-reinforced concrete designed to exhibit strain-hardening and multiple fine microcracking, instead of large brittle cracks, under tensile loading. The presence of high volume of non-hydrated cement particles in ECC have demonstrated self-healing potential of cracks in ECC. This study evaluates the influence of two ECC additives, limestone powder and crumb rubber, on the self-healing performance of ECC. Three ECC mixture designs were developed: a control mixture, a limestone powder-modified mixture and a crumb rubber modified mixture. Self-healing was monitored over a period of 90 days under alternating wet and dry conditions to represent realistic exposure. Crack widths of specimens included macrocrack of 0.4 mm and microcrack of 0.2 mm for each ECC mixture.

The limestone powder mixture showed the most effective self-healing in macrocracked specimens, due to improved cement hydration and calcium compound formation from the limestone powder. The crumb rubber mixture exhibited the lowest extent of self-healing for both micro- and macrocracks. This can be attributed to the poor bonding of crumb rubber particles with the cement matrix. These results illustrate the importance of additive selection in ECC mixture design.

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Faculty Mentor

Srishti Banerji

Departmental Honors Advisor

Patrick Singleton