Behavior of Self Compacted Concrete Deep Beams Reinforced With Polypropylene Fibers

Abstract

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is one of the most recent high-performance concrete innovations. The behavior of self-compacted concrete deep beams reinforced with polypropylene fibers herein investigated. Within an experimental program comprising thirteen simply supported beams tested to failure. The parameters in perspective are polypropylene fiber ratios (0.0, 0.30, 0.60, and 0.90 %), vertical web reinforcement, and horizontal web reinforcement. Mid-span deflection, cracks, and strains are measured for each specimen. According to the test results, the polypropylene fibers improved the cracking load, ultimate capacity, displacement, and energy absorption of the tested SCC deep beams. A polypropylene fiber content of 0.90 % resulted in the most significant improvement as regards the performance of deep beams. The improvement in ultimate capacity reached a 30% magnitude compared to specimen B1. Test results showed that both vertical and horizontal web reinforcement are effective in enhancing the shear capacity of SCC deep beams. The test results were compared with the ACI design method to show the impact of web reinforcement ratio on deep beam load capacity.