Strain-Hardening Fibre-Reinforced Cement-Based Composites (SHCC) were named after their ability to resist increased tensile force after crack formation, over a significant tensile deformation range. The increased resistance is achieved through effective crack bridging by fibres, across multiple cracks of widths in the micro-range. Whether these small crack widths are maintained under sustained, cyclic or other load paths, and whether the crack width limitation translates into durability through retardation of ingress of moisture, gas and other deleterious matter, are scrutinized in this book by evaluation of test results from several laboratories internationally. The durability of SHCC under mechanical, chemical, thermal and combined actions is considered, both for the composite and the fibre types typically used in SHCC. The compilation of this state-of-the-art report has been an activity of the RILEM TC 208-HFC, Subcommittee 2: Durability, during the committee life 2005-2009.

This is the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Strain-Hardening Cement-Based Composites (SHCC4), that was held at the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany from 18 to 20 September 2017. The conference focused on advanced fiber-reinforced concrete materials such as strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC), textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) and high-performance fiber-reinforced cement-based composites (HPFRCC). All these new materials exhibit pseudo-ductile behavior resulting from the formation of multiple, fine cracks when subject to tensile loading. The use of such types of fiber-reinforced concrete could revolutionize the planning, development, dimensioning, structural and architectural design, construction of new and strengthening and repair of existing buildings and structures in many areas of application. The SHCC4 Conference was the follow-up of three previous successful international events in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2011, and Dordrecht, The Netherlands in 2014.

Strain Hardening Cement Composites, SHCC hereafter, demonstrate excellent mechanical behavior showing tensile strain hardening and multiple fine cracks. This strain hardening behavior improves the durability of concrete structures employing SHCC and the multiple fine cracks enhance structural performance. Reliable tensile performance of SHCC enables us to design structures explicitly accounting for SHCC’s tensile properties. Reinforced SHCC elements (R/SHCC) indicate large energy absorbing performance under large seismic excitation. Against various types of loads, R/SHCC elements can be designed by superimposing re-bar performance and SHCC’s tensile performance. This report focuses on flexural design, shear design, FE modeling and anti-seismic design of R/SHCC elements as well as application examples. Establishing design methods for new materials usually leads to exploring application areas and this trend should be demonstrated by collecting actual application examples of SHCC in structures.

This book captures the state of the art of the durability of fibre-reinforced strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC) and the durability of structures or structural elements manufactured in full or in part with this class of modern construction materials. Highlights include: - Reflection on durability performance of existing applications in patch repair, a water reservoir and highway bridges. - Guidelines for tensile testing towards durability assessment of cracked SHCC. - New crack pattern related ingress rate indices for water and chloride into cracked SHCC. - The influence of low and high temperatures on SHCC durability performance. - The mechanism of crack control reducing ASR and corrosion rate, and results on chloride-induced corrosion of embedded steel reinforcement. - Self-healing of cracks in SHCC. - A conceptual durability design framework for SHCC and R/SHCC structures and members.

This volume gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of cementitious composites. It covers advanced fiber-reinforced concrete materials such as strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC), textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) and high-performance fiber-reinforced cement-based composites (HPFRCC). All these new materials exhibit pseudo-ductile behavior resulting from the formation of multiple, fine cracks when subject to tensile loading. The use of such types of fiber-reinforced concrete could revolutionize the planning, development, dimensioning, structural and architectural design, construction of new and strengthening and repair of existing buildings and structures in many areas of application. The contents reflect the outcomes of the activities of SHCC5 (International RILEM Workshop on Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites) in 2022.

High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites (HPFRCC) represent a class of cement composites whose stress-strain response in tension undergoes strain hardening behaviour accompanied by multiple cracking, leading to a high strain prior to failure. The primary objective of this International Workshop was to provide a compendium of up-to-date information on the most recent developments and research advances in the field of High Performance Fiber Reinforced Cement Composites. Approximately 65 contributions from leading world experts are assembled in these proceedings and provide an authoritative perspective on the subject. Special topics include fresh and hardening state properties; self-compacting mixtures; mechanical behavior under compressive, tensile, and shear loading; structural applications; impact, earthquake and fire resistance; durability issues; ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete; and textile reinforced concrete. Target readers: graduate students, researchers, fiber producers, design engineers, material scientists.