High Performance Engineered Concrete Materials and Structural Systems for Innovative and Sustainable Construction

最近加拿大基础设施状况的恶化促使当局和研究人员寻求新的混凝土技术来提高材料性能。近几十年来，高性能混凝土（HPC）的研究取得了巨大的进展，“高强高延性”是当今混凝土研究的前沿。其中一种新兴的HPC技术涉及纤维增强工程混凝土（EC）家族，鉴于全球对基础设施系统的需求，EC的潜在应用是巨大的。工程水泥基复合材料（简称工程水泥基复合材料）具有裂缝宽度窄、拉伸延性高等特点，在解决钢筋混凝土结构耐久性问题方面具有巨大的潜力，可用于新建结构或作为修补材料。尽管近年来EC技术取得了进展，但迫切需要对材料表征和创新的实际结构应用进行研究。 拟议的研究具有独特的地位，通过开发新兴的电子商务技术，在可持续基础设施领域取得突破性进展。它将使用当地可用的材料为加拿大市场生产新品种的具有成本效益的绿色自修复EC，还将专注于开发高度可行的新型无接缝桥面板和基于EC的结构元件/系统。拟议的研究涉及一个综合的研究，包括实验，理论和数值研究。长期目标是开发智能EC材料，以构建坚固的结构系统，特别是用于桥梁和建筑应用，具有更高的强度，耐用性，适用性和经济性。短期目标是：（一）通过评估新鲜/机械/耐久性、微观结构特征和自我修复特性，利用废物和当地骨料开发不同类别的EC混合物;（ii）就设有柔性EC连接板的无接缝桥面和EC建筑框架/剪力墙系统的结构性能，以及锈蚀/非锈蚀的（iii）对设有环保连接板的无接缝桥面进行生命周期分析，以证明该等建造工程的可行性/可持续性;（iv）为生产环保混合料制订性能规格;及（v）为环保梁、设有环保连接板的无接缝桥面及环保建筑框架/剪力墙系统制订设计指引及性能规格。 这项研究将使研究人员和工程师完善他们对EC材料/拟议结构系统的了解，并充分评估新技术的潜力。该项目与加拿大非常相关，因为其基础设施老化，新兴的电子商务技术可以在未来的建设和翻新中发挥至关重要的作用。拟议的研究是一项可行的倡议，可以大大有助于开发和使用新兴的电子商务材料，以提高耐久性和降低短期和长期的基础设施维护成本。毫无疑问，EC技术将为21世纪建造坚固和可持续的高性能结构系统（具有更高的强度，耐用性，使用寿命和经济性）。通过支持这项研究，加拿大可以在这项新技术的开发和全球转让方面发挥重要作用。

The recent deteriorating condition of the infrastructure in Canada has motivated authorities and researchers to seek new concrete technology for enhancement of material properties. During the last decades, tremendous progress has been made on the high performance concrete (HPC) and the modern day concrete frontiers can be defined by “high strength and high tensile ductility” characteristics. One such emerging HPC technology involves the family of fibre reinforced engineered concrete (EC) and given the worldwide demand for infrastructure systems, the potential application of EC is enormous. With intrinsically tight crack width and high tensile ductility, EC (commonly known as engineered cementitious composite ‘ECC’) offers significant potential to resolve durability problems of RC structures and to be used either in new construction or as repair material. Despite progress in EC technology in recent years, there is an urgent need to conduct research on the material characterization and innovative practical structural applications. The proposed research is uniquely positioned to make ground breaking advances in the field of sustainable infrastructure through development of emerging EC technology. It will produce new breed of green cost-effective self-healing ECs using locally available materials for Canadian market and will also focus on the development of highly viable novel joint-free bridge deck and EC based structural elements/systems. The proposed research involves an integrated study consisting of experimental, theoretical and numerical investigations. The long-term objective is to develop smart EC materials to build robust structural systems particularly for bridge and building applications with enhanced strength, durability, serviceability and economy. The short-term objectives are to: (i) develop different classes of EC mixes using wastes and local aggregates through evaluation of fresh/mechanical/durability properties, microstructural characterizations and self-healing characteristics; (ii) conduct experimental and theoretical/numerical investigations on the structural performance of joint-free bridge deck with flexible EC link slab and EC building frames/shear wall system as well as corroded/non-corroded EC beams; (iii) carryout life cycle analysis of joint-free bridge deck with EC link slab to demonstrate viability/sustainability of such construction; (iv) develop performance specifications for the manufacture of EC mixes; and (v) develop design guidelines and performance based specifications for EC beams, joint-free bridge deck with EC link slab and EC building frames/shear wall systems. This research will allow researchers and engineers to perfect their knowledge of the EC materials/proposed structural systems and to fully evaluate the potential of the new technology. This project is very relevant to Canada, considering its ageing infrastructure, where emerging EC technology can play a vital role in the future construction and renovation. The proposed research is a viable initiative that can significantly contribute to the development and use of emerging EC materials to enhance durability and reduce costs of infrastructure maintenance in the short and long terms. There is no doubt that EC technology will lead to the construction of robust and sustainable high-performance structural systems (with enhanced strength, durability, service life and economy) for the 21st century. By supporting this research, Canada can play a significant role in the development and worldwide transfer of this novel technology.