This study investigates the mechanical and durability properties of fly ash-based engineered cementitious composites (ECC). The effect of various mineral additions, such as wheat husk ash (WHA), rice husk ash (RHA), glass powder (GP), and fibrillated polypropylene (PP) fibers, on mechanical performance, water absorption, and porosity was investigated. Furthermore, the durability of ECC specimens was assessed in terms of sorptivity, acid/sulfate attacks, electric resistivity (ER), rapid chloride penetration (RCPT), and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV). The results revealed higher mechanical strength, UPV, and ER values for RHA-based ECC. After 180 days of immersion in acid and sulfate solutions, RHA-based ECC showed a lower loss in compressive strength (23.21% and 1.07% in HCl and Na₂SO₄, respectively) relative to the control mix (44% and 7% in HCl and Na₂SO₄, respectively). Moreover, analytical characterizations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses were also carried out to corroborate the mechanical and durability properties of ECC.

This study deals with application of sodium-paraben based anti-fungal agents in cement mortars and their effect on the physical, mechanical, and anti-fungal activity. The fungus Aspergillus Niger, typically found in damp buildings, grew on cement composites. Sodium propyl parahydroxybenzoate (SPP) and sodium methyl parahydroxybenzoate (SMP), two sodium paraben anti-fungal agents, were used in pastes and mortars at dosages of 1 and 2 wt.% relative to cement. The results of the study show that the use of anti-fungal agents containing sodium paraben reduces the compressive strength of cement mortar and the setting time of hardened cement paste. The results of the biodeterioration test demonstrated that mortars incorporating with anti-fungal agents containing sodium paraben are less susceptible to fungal attack. Analytical characterizations such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis showed that the use of sodium paraben based anti-fungal agents increased the resistance of mortars against the fungal attack.