Effect of Moisture State on Mechanical Behavior and Microstructure of Pulp Fiber-Cement Mortars
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 19, Issue 8
Abstract
An investigation involving mechanical testing and microstructural characterization was undertaken to examine the influence of moisture state at the time of testing on the performance (i.e., strength, toughness, and failure mode) of pulp fiber-cement composites. Samples, prepared with fiber volume fractions of 0, 1.2, and 2.0%, were tested in oven dry, air dry, and wet states. Both compressive and flexural strength were found to be greatest in the oven dry state, presumably due to increased fiber and matrix strength as well as increased fiber/cement bonding which occurs with the controlled removal of water. Flexural toughness, however, was decreased for oven dry samples, and greater fiber fracture (as opposed to the more ductile failure mode of fiber pull-out) was observed in the oven dry samples. It is proposed that this results from differential shrinkage in the fibers’ S1 and S2 layers and increased fiber/cement bonding with drying.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to acknowledge the National Science Foundation (NSFCMS-0122068) and the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST)/Georgia Tech seed grant program, for their financial support. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 19 • Issue 8 • August 2007
Pages: 691 - 699
Copyright
© 2007 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 22, 2006
Accepted: Jan 22, 2007
Published online: Aug 1, 2007
Published in print: Aug 2007
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Christopher K. Y. Leung
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