Steel Fiber-Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete: Experimental Research and Numerical Simulation

Abstract

Over the last few decades, the astonishing developments of super plasticizers technology allowed great achievements on the conception of concrete mixes exhibiting self-compacting ability. Since the eighties, some methodologies have been proposed to achieve self-compacting requirements in fresh concrete mixes, based on the evaluation of the flowing properties of these mixes. There still persist, however, some doubts about the most appropriate strategy to define the optimum composition of a self-compacting concrete (SCC) mix, based on a required performance. The behavior of SCC as a structural material can be improved if adequate steel fiber reinforcement is added to SCC mix composition. In fact, the fiber reinforcement mechanisms can convert the brittle behavior of this cement based material into a pseudo-ductile behavior up to a crack width that is acceptable under the structural design point-of-view. Fiber addition, however, increases the complexity of the mix design process, due to the strong perturbation effect that steel fibers cause on fresh concrete flow. In the present work, a mix design method is proposed to develop cost effective and high performance Steel Fiber Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (SFRSCC). The material properties of the developed SFRSCC are assessed as well as its potentiality as a structural material, carrying out punching and flexural tests on panel prototypes. A material nonlinear analysis is carried out, aiming to address the possibility of calibrating the constitutive model parameters by obtaining, with an inverse analysis, the fracture parameters using forcedeflection relationships recorded in simpler laboratory tests, like the three point notched beam bending test. The contribution of steel fibers for punching resistance is also, by this means, discussed.

Steel Fibre Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (SFRSC) performance in slab application: A review

“…Furthermore, the steel fibres also increases the punching shear resistance of SCC by providing an interlock between fibres that helps to resist cracks and delay the loss of aggregate contribution in the mixture [21]. The most commonly used volume fraction of steel fibres to enhance the properties of SCC is in between 0.5 to 2% of the concrete volume.…”

Development of sandwich panels combining fibre reinforced concrete layers and fibre reinforced polymer connectors. Part II: Evaluation of mechanical behaviour

“…10a is based on the process described elsewhere [18,19,21]. The procedure consists on the evaluation of the parameters that minimise the deviation between the experimental and the numerical load-CMOD curve, by brute force analysis.…”

High performance fiber reinforced concrete for the shear reinforcement: Experimental and numerical research

“…The steel fibers do not easily disperse in a concrete mix, due to its stiff nature. Thus an optimized SCC can be achieved only by considering the material property, geometry and content aspects of the fibers [3]. Through the balanced performance and the adequate viscosity of the HPFRC proposed in the present study, the fibers were found to be well orientated along the casting-flow direction.…”

“…In fact, by using fine fillers, such as silica fume and fly ash, the voids between cement particles are filled, causing a very dense and compact cement matrix. The use superplasticizers was another alternative for providing the required flowability and selfcompacting ability of the mix with lower water contents [3]. By combining SCC with discrete steel fibers the SCC post-cracking tensile strength and energy absorption capacity was increased [4].…”