Quasi-static and dynamic compressive mechanical properties of engineered cementitious composite incorporating ground granulated blast furnace slag

The ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) has been widely used as a supplementary cementitious material in concrete production due to its lower heat of hydration, ability to gain strength over a longer period, superior performance against chemical attacks, and lower environmental impact. Four Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) mixtures with 50%, 60%, 70% and 80% substitution amounts of GGBS were prepared and their dynamic compressive mechanical behavior had been investigated by using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) system at strain rates ranging from 84.8 to 184.6 s−1. The corresponding quasi-static compressive responses of GGBS–ECC were also studied experimentally for contrasting with their dynamic tests. The objective of using GGBS to replace fly ash in ECC was to obtain higher quasi-static compressive strength and dynamic load-carrying capacity. The dynamic compressive stress–strain curves did not show residual strength behavior as that in the quasi-static stress–strain curves. ECC incorporating GGBS exhibited strain rate dependence. The peak stress increased and the peak strain decreased with the increase of strain rates. The toughness ratio under quasi-static compression was lower than that of dynamic compression according to the proposed method in this study. The toughness ratio under dynamic compression showed a slight increase with the GGBS content increasing. The strain rate had little influence on the toughness ratio.

► GGBS–ECC had higher compressive strength and moderate tensile strain capacity.
► The SHPB test was used to study the dynamic compressive response of GGBS–ECC.
► The strain rate and GGBS content had an effect on the shape of stress–strain curve.
► The GGBS content had an important role on the toughness ratio.
► The strain rate had an unobvious effect on the toughness ratio.