Feasibility study on fire-resistive engineered cementitious composites

Spray-applied fire-resistive material (SFRM) is one of the most commonly used fire protection materials for steel structures. The commonly observed delamination and detachment of SFRM, however, significantly reduces the overall effectiveness of fire protection. Engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) are a special family of high-performance, fiber-reinforced cementitious composites featuring very high ductility under tension, bending, and impact loads. This study investigates the feasibility of developing a new version of fire-resistive ECC that combines the fractureresistant property of the ECC family of materials and the excellent insulation property of SFRM. The study shows that ECC with similar or even better insulation property compared with conventional SFRM can be developed, and the intrinsic high ductility of ECC improves the overall effectiveness and durability of fire protection.