Pseudo strain-hardening alkali-activated composites with up to 100 % rubber aggregate: Static mechanical properties analysis and constitutive model development
Ze-Ming Yang, Hong-Shu Pan, Zhenxing Jiang, Jing-Hui Lv, Guo-Wei Ruan, Hua-Ming Lai, Jia-Xiang Lin
Abstract
Strain-hardening alkali-activated materials (SHAAM) provide a sustainable alternative to conventional strain-hardening cementitious composites (SHCC), offering significant environmental and economic benefits. This study examines the effects of various rubber powder (RP) volume replacement ratios (0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 %) on the properties of Rubber Powder Modified Strain-Hardening Alkali-Activated Composite Material (R-SHAAM), assessing workability, uniaxial compressive behavior , and uniaxial tensile behavior . The findings reveal that R-SHAAM with 100 % RP aggregate significantly enhances durability, achieving a 50.7 % reduction in crack width. Optimal axial tensile performance is observed at a 25 % replacement ratio, where R-SHAAM shows an 8.1 % increase in tensile strength and a 4.1 % increase in ultimate tensile strain . The robust multi-dimensional performance of R-SHAAM across different RP replacement ratios suggests its potential for diverse applications including pavement, marine structures, and explosive engineering, thereby offering valuable insights into sustainable material design and the effective recycling of waste materials in construction.