{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T19:21:44Z","timestamp":1777576904357,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776643200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Despite extensive advancements in Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECCs), mixture design remains predominantly empirical, due to the absence of a quantitative parameter directly linking fiber\u2013matrix interfacial mechanics to strain-hardening performance. This study identifies fiber\u2013matrix interfacial friction as a quantifiable parameter and establishes a micromechanics-guided interfacial regulation framework to enhance the toughness of ECC by regulating fiber failure modes. First, a critical fiber\u2013matrix interfacial frictional stress, (\u03c40)crit, corresponding to the transition between fiber pull-out and fracture, was theoretically derived based on energy dissipation maximization during crack propagation. A back-calculation approach was further developed to determine interfacial frictional stress (\u03c40) directly from tensile stress\u2013crack opening responses under single-crack tension, eliminating reliance on single-fiber pull-out testing. Then, \u03c40 was tuned toward (\u03c40)crit through interfacial regulation using fly ash. Experimental results demonstrate that the toughness of ECC is maximized when \u03c40 approaches (\u03c40)crit, confirming the validity of the proposed toughness enhancement mechanism. The study establishes an explicit mechanistic linkage between interfacial micromechanics and macroscopic strain-hardening performance, providing a predictive and quantitative design pathway that transcends empirical mixture adjustment.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma19081643","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T12:01:22Z","timestamp":1776686482000},"page":"1643","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Interfacial Friction-Controlled Fiber Failure Modes for Toughness Enhancement of Engineered Cementitious Composites"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Dachuan","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"China Building Materials Academy, Beijing 100024, China"},{"name":"School of Transportation Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yingzi","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Civil Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zhendi","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"China Building Materials Academy, Beijing 100024, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6237-6025","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ling","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"China Building Materials Academy, Beijing 100024, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Li, V.C. 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