Abstract: Direct tensile test is feasible to reflect the strain-hardening and multiple micro cracking characteristics of SHCC, it is also the only feasible method to get stress-strain curve of material on uniaxial tensile load. The stress-strain full curves of SHCC at different ages was obtained on the basis of direct tensile test in this paper, and crack development of different specimens was observed in the course of the experiments with three specimens each group. The results show that obvious strain hardening characteristics appears in all specimens, and the ultimate tensile strain can all reach or even exceed 3%, the crack spacing of specimens are various at different ages, the cracking characteristics have differences. With the increase of age, the tensile strength increases and the toughness decreases. The results obtained in this paper can provide theoretical guidance for the popularization and application of SHCC in the practical engineering.

Key words: SHCC, strain hardening, stress-strain curve, multiple micro cracking, age