Elevating Frc Material Ductility to Infrastructure Durability

Concrete is a brittle material. The lack of durability of concrete infrastructure has been a recognized concern. Research in fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) often addresses the issue of material brittleness. However, the translation of improved ductility of FRC into infrastructure durability is often overlooked. This paper explores the concept of elevating the ductility of high performance fiber reinforced concretes (HPFRCC) material to the improved durability of reinforced HPFRCC (R/HPFRCC) structural elements. Special focus is placed on two levels of protection of R/HPFRCC elements. The first level involves the control of ingress of aggressive agents through the HPFRCC cover via crack width control, thereby reducing the rate of corrosion of the rebar. The second level involves the resistance to spalling associated with expansion of corroding steel reinforcing bars. Experimental results supporting both levels of protection are presented. It is suggested that the unique characteristics of certain HPFRCC with high ductility several hundred times that of normal concrete can serve to effectively enhance infrastructure durability.