PSI - Issue 68

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2025) 000–000

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

ScienceDirect

Procedia Structural Integrity 68 (2025) 238–244

European Conference on Fracture 2024 Mechanical performance of sustainable PE-ECC using GGBS and dune sands Eyad Shahin a, *, Jamal Abdalla a , Rami Hawileh a a Department of Civil Engineering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates Abstract Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC) are a class of high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (HPFRC), renowned for their exceptional ductility and strain-hardening behavior. Unlike traditional fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC), ECC forms multiple fine cracks under tensile stress, maintaining a tensile strain capacity above 3%. While fly ash has been widely studied as a supplementary material in ECC, research on Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) as a sustainable cement alternative is still limited. This study addresses this gap by investigating the mechanical performance of polyethylene fiber-reinforced ECC (PE-ECC) with GGBS replacement levels of 30%, 60%, and 90%. Additionally, dune sand is explored as a substitute for silica sand, a relatively under-researched aspect in ECC development. Standardized compressive and tensile tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of GGBS and dune sand on strength and ductility. The 60% GGBS mix demonstrated the highest compressive strength (72.5 MPa) and tensile strain capacity (3.066%), while the 30% GGBS mix exhibited the highest tensile strength (7.77 MPa). The 90% GGBS mix showed the lowest permeability (780 coulombs) in the Rapid Chloride Permeability Test (RCPT), indicating superior durability in aggressive environments. These findings highlight the potential of GGBS and dune sand as effective substitutes in ECC, contributing to more sustainable and durable construction materials. © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ECF24 organizers

Peer-review under responsibility of ECF24 organizers Keywords: ECC; GGBS; dune sand; sustainable construction

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +971 502448510 E-mail address: b00079459@aus.edu

2452-3216 © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ECF24 organizers

2452-3216 © 2025 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ECF24 organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2025.06.048