Direct tensile behavior and size effect of Strain-Hardening fiber-reinforced Cement-based Composites (SHCC)

A simple tension test method on dumbbell specimens for strain-hardening fiber-reinforced cement-based composites (SHCC) was proposed. Tension tests were reliably accomplished using the test apparatus proposed in this study, with all specimens broken in their test zones. Though the tensile strength and the tensile yield strength scarcely varied between the specimen thicknesses, the ultimate tensile strain scattered more widely as the specimen thickness increased. Regardless of the thickness, the crack widths of all specimens increased up to a strain of approximately 1%. When the strain exceeded 1%, the crack width of specimens with an ultimate tensile strain of 4% or more scarcely increased as the strain increased, with the maximum crack width being not more than 0.2 mm.