Enhancement of Fatigue Resistance of Strain-Hardening Cement-Based Composites by Means of Experimental-Virtual Multiscale Material Design

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/Report › Chapter in book/Anthology/Report › Contributed › peer-review

Abstract

This chapter explores the enhancement of fatigue resistance in strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) through a combined experimental and numerical approach. The studies at hand focussed on investigating fibre-matrix interactions, crack propagation, and damage mechanisms. Experimental tests, such as uniaxial tension, pull-out, and relaxation tests, were conducted to understand SHCC’s mechanical behaviour subjected to different environmental and loading conditions. These findings were compared to numerical simulations using the microlayer approach, fibre super-element, cohesive interface models and phase-field fracture, which simulate complex behaviours like fibre pull-out and crack formation. To address the computational challenges of simulating high-cycle fatigue, time homogenisation techniques were used to reduce the number of calculations required. The results show strong agreement between experimental data and numerical simulations, highlighting the effectiveness of the multiscale modelling approach. The findings of the studies presented in this chapter contribute to advancing the understanding of the fatigue behaviour of these composites and provide practical insights for developing more durable, fatigue-resistant materials for infrastructure exposed to cyclic stresses, setting a precedent for improving multiscale material design approaches.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationCyclic Deterioration of High-Performance Concrete
EditorsNadja Oneschkow, Ludger Lohaus
PublisherSpringer Nature Switzerland
Chapter16
Pages345-372
Number of pages28
ISBN (electronic)978-3-032-19394-0
ISBN (print)978-3-032-19393-3, 978-3-032-19396-4
Publication statusPublished - 23 Aug 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-6115-6493/work/224856638
ORCID /0000-0002-0718-5541/work/224857404
Mendeley 72ba2ac1-df20-3356-b674-4d955cf92892
Scopus 105054239718

Keywords

Keywords

  • SHCC, Microlayer approach, Fatigue, Degradation mechanism, Numerical modelling, Super-element