Experimental testing of reinforced concrete and reinforced ECC flexural members subjected to various cyclic deformation histories

Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) materials have been designed to exhibit high tensile ductility compared to traditional concrete. ECCs have also shown improved damage tolerance in compression. When reinforced with steel, ECC components have been proposed for enhanced seismic resistance in structural applications. Because of the uncertainty associated with ground motions, determining an appropriate cyclic deformation history for seismic testing of structural components is a challenge. Three reinforced ECC and three reinforced concrete beams were tested under three different cyclic loading protocols. Cracking, strain in the steel reinforcement, and hysteretic response were monitored. The reinforced ECC beams exhibited an increase in ductility and hysteretic energy dissipated over the reinforced concrete beams, particularly when subjected to a deformation history containing large initial deformation pulses. The presence and magnitude of initial pulses did not affect ductility or failure mode of the ECC beams, and is not expected to be relevant in design of reinforced ECC beams for collapse prevention.