What is ECC Concrete?

ECC Concrete is a special concrete with high toughness and crack resistance after being mixed with water in a certain proportion. Its tensile deformation can reach more than 200 times that of ordinary concrete, so it is also called "bendable concrete". It can be traced back to the ECC (Engineered Cementitious Composites) theory proposed by Professor Victor Li of the University of Michigan in 1992.

Research shows that ECC Concrete has the following superior properties:

1. High toughness: Unlike ordinary concrete, the cementitious materials of ECC Concrete are all fine aggregates. By adding synthetic fibers, the concrete can continue to maintain and deform significantly after reaching the tensile limit.

2. High strength: Because ECC Concrete does not have coarse aggregates, it is formed into a dense accumulation by closely stacking fine aggregates, and the synthetic fiber material strengthens the connection between aggregates. Therefore, ECC Concrete generally has high strength characteristics. By adjusting the mix ratio and adding synthetic fibers, the compressive strength can reach more than 150MPa.

3. Durability: The excellent crack closure performance of ECC Concrete gives it an advantage in durability. Even if cracks are formed under large tensile stress, they are only fine micro-cracks.

4. Fire resistance: The components of ECC Concrete are mainly inorganic minerals. When ECC Concrete is exposed to fire, the internal synthetic fibers will decompose, thereby increasing the internal air pressure bearing capacity, which can reduce the concrete damage caused by fire to a certain extent. Therefore, ECC Concrete has good fire resistance.

Application areas of ECC Concrete

1. Earthquake resistance and reinforcement of old houses, communities and bridges

2. Earthquake resistance and reinforcement of public buildings such as schools and hospitals

3. Structural repair and reinforcement of water conservancy dams, culverts and tunnels