Structural behavior of reinforced polyvinyl alcohol engineered cementitious composite (PVA-ECC) beams under static and fatigue loadings

This chapter presents an experimental investigation of the flexural and shear behaviors of steel-reinforced PVA-ECC beams under static and fatigue loadings. Steel-reinforced normal concrete beams are also tested as the benchmark. The effect of the PVA-ECC matrix on the structural behavior of the steel-reinforced beams is studied. In addition, the effects of the transverse and longitudinal reinforcement bars on the structural behavior of PVA-ECC beams are investigated. The structural performances under static and fatigue loadings, including the load-deformation behavior, ductility ratio, moment-curvature relationship, cracking behavior, and strain distribution in reinforcement bars, are investigated. In addition, the bond behavior of the steel reinforcement bars embedded in PVA-ECC beams is studied. Furthermore, the stress range-fatigue life relationships of the tested beams are derived and compared with the CEB-FIP model to evaluate their fatigue performance.