Development of ultra-high performance engineered cementitious composites using polyethylene (PE) fibers

•The tensile, compressive and flexural behaviors of UHP-ECC were systematically investigated.•UHP-ECC combines the strain-hardening and multiple crack characteristics and the high strength of mortar matrix.•Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (PE) fibers with a high aspect ratio were deployed.•The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was utilized to monitor the crack patterns during the tests.•Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was conducted to understand the microstructure of UHP-ECC.

Ultra-high performance engineered cementitious composites (UHP-ECC), which combines the strain-hardening and multiple crack characteristics and the high strength of mortar matrix, was investigated in this study. The tensile strength and elongation of the UHP-ECC achieved were 20 MPa and 8.7%, respectively. For the production of UHP-ECC, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (PE) fibers were deployed to reinforce the ultra-high strength mortar while special attention was paid to the mix process to ensure satisfactory fiber dispersion. The tensile stress-strain curves, the compressive strength and elastic modulus, and the flexural behavior of UHP-ECC were investigated to understand its mechanical performance. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was utilized to monitor the crack patterns of UHP-ECC during the tensile and flexural tests. In addition, Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis was conducted to achieve an in-depth understanding of the microstructure of UHP-ECC.