This is the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Strain-Hardening Cement-Based Composites (SHCC4), that was held at the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany from 18 to 20 September 2017. The conference focused on advanced fiber-reinforced concrete materials such as strain-hardening cement-based composites (SHCC), textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) and high-performance fiber-reinforced cement-based composites (HPFRCC). All these new materials exhibit pseudo-ductile behavior resulting from the formation of multiple, fine cracks when subject to tensile loading. The use of such types of fiber-reinforced concrete could revolutionize the planning, development, dimensioning, structural and architectural design, construction of new and strengthening and repair of existing buildings and structures in many areas of application. The SHCC4 Conference was the follow-up of three previous successful international events in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2011, and Dordrecht, The Netherlands in 2014.

Strain Hardening Cement Composites, SHCC hereafter, demonstrate excellent mechanical behavior showing tensile strain hardening and multiple fine cracks. This strain hardening behavior improves the durability of concrete structures employing SHCC and the multiple fine cracks enhance structural performance. Reliable tensile performance of SHCC enables us to design structures explicitly accounting for SHCC’s tensile properties. Reinforced SHCC elements (R/SHCC) indicate large energy absorbing performance under large seismic excitation. Against various types of loads, R/SHCC elements can be designed by superimposing re-bar performance and SHCC’s tensile performance. This report focuses on flexural design, shear design, FE modeling and anti-seismic design of R/SHCC elements as well as application examples. Establishing design methods for new materials usually leads to exploring application areas and this trend should be demonstrated by collecting actual application examples of SHCC in structures.

This Special Issue presents the latest advances in the field of Textile-Reinforced Cement Composites, including Textile-Reinforced Concrete (TRC), Textile-Reinforced Mortar (TRM), Fabric-Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM), etc. These composite materials distinguish themselves from other fibre-reinforced concrete materials by their strain-hardening behaviour under tensile loading. This Special Issue is composed of 14 papers covering new insights in structural and material engineering. The papers include investigations on the level of the fibre reinforcement system as well as on the level of the composites, investigating their impact and fatigue behaviour, durability and fire behaviour. Both the strengthening of existing structures and the development of new structural systems such as lightweight sandwich systems are presented, and analysis and design methods are discussed. This Special Issue demonstrates the broadness and intensity of the ongoing advancements in the field of Textile-Reinforced Cement composites and the importance of several future research directions.

This is the first book on Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC), an advanced concrete material attracting world-wide attention in both the academic community and in industry. The book presents a comprehensive coverage of the material design methodology, processing methodology, mechanical and durability properties, smart functions, and application case studies. It combines effective use of illustrations, graphical data, and tables. It de-emphasizes mathematics in favor of physical understanding. The book serves as an introduction to the subject matter, or as a reference to those conducting research in ECC. It will also be valuable to engineers who need to quickly search for relevant information in a single comprehensive text.

Strain-Hardening Fibre-Reinforced Cement-Based Composites (SHCC) were named after their ability to resist increased tensile force after crack formation, over a significant tensile deformation range. The increased resistance is achieved through effective crack bridging by fibres, across multiple cracks of widths in the micro-range. Whether these small crack widths are maintained under sustained, cyclic or other load paths, and whether the crack width limitation translates into durability through retardation of ingress of moisture, gas and other deleterious matter, are scrutinized in this book by evaluation of test results from several laboratories internationally. The durability of SHCC under mechanical, chemical, thermal and combined actions is considered, both for the composite and the fibre types typically used in SHCC. The compilation of this state-of-the-art report has been an activity of the RILEM TC 208-HFC, Subcommittee 2: Durability, during the committee life 2005-2009.

Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) is a new type of fiber-reinforced bendable cementitious composite that is used in various civil engineering applications instead of conventional and fiber-reinforced concrete due to its high mechanical and durable properties. In the macro and micro mechanic systems of ECC, the incorporation of different materials plays a vital role in enhancing the properties of ECC. Conventional concrete and fiber-reinforced concrete have a brittle nature and crack easily under environmental and mechanical loads, affecting the durability of structures. The usage of alternative materials in the ECC modifies the brittle nature and offers environmentally sustainable construction with low embodied energy and a negative carbon footprint. Production, Properties, and Applications of Engineered Cementitious Composites highlights the new and innovative ways of production, properties, and various applications of engineered cementitious composites. The main focus of the book is on the latest advancements, technical knowledge, tools, and solutions for engineered cementitious composites manufacturing, design, and technologies for construction from various perspectives. Covering key topics such as alternative materials, mineral admixtures, and testing of engineered cementitious composites, this premier reference source is ideal for engineers, industry professionals, researchers, academicians, scholars, practitioners, instructors, and students.