Cement based composites for thin building elements: Fracture and fatigue parameters

For application in civil engineering structures and also for strengthening existing structures cement-based composites are one of the most frequently used materials. Although many studies have been conducted on the mechanical properties of concrete from static tests, very little research has been reported on concrete fatigue properties. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the static and fatigue behavior of new cement-based composites, developed by ZPSV, a.s. a company producing bridge/train/building structures, are presented. To this end specimens were prepared and tested under static (compressive strength, bending strength, volume density and freezing and thawing resistance index) and cyclic loading (fatigue parameters — Wöhler/S−N curve). The experimentally obtained results (both static and fatigue) of cement-based composites are compared and the suitability of the composites in terms of their application for thin building elements is discussed.