Steel Fiber-Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete: Experimental Research and Numerical Simulation
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 8
Abstract
Over the last few decades, the astonishing developments of superplasticizers technology allowed great achievements in the conception of concrete mixes exhibiting self-compacting ability. Since the 1980s, 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 pseudoductile 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 force-deflection relationships recorded in simpler laboratory tests, such as the three-point notched beam bending test. The contribution of steel fibers for punching resistance is also discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The study reported in this paper is part of the research program “Prefabricated sandwich steel fiber-reinforced panels” supported by FEDER and MCT, and promoted by ADI (the funds were 45% of the applied amount). This project involves the companies PREGAIA and CIVITEST, and the University of Minho. The writers wish to acknowledge the materials generously supplied by Bekaert (fibers), SECIL (cement), Degussa (superplasticizer), and Comital (limestone filler).
References
ASTM. (1994). “Standard test method for static modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio of concrete in compression.” Annual book of ASTM standards, C 469-94, 04.02, 238–241.
ASTM. (1996). “Standard test method for compressive strength of cylindrical concrete specimens.” Annual book of ASTM standards, C 39-96, 04.02, 18–22.
Azevedo, A. F. M., Barros, J. A. O., and Sena-Cruz, J. M. (2006). “FEMIX—Computer program for the linear and nonlinear structural analysis.” Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Minho, http://www.civil.uminho.pt/composites/Software.htm .
Barros, J. A. O. (1995). “Behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete—Numerical and experimental research.” Ph.D. thesis, Civil Eng. Dept., Faculty of Eng., Univ. of Porto, Porto, Portugal (in Portuguese).
Barros, J. A. O., Cunha, V. M. C. F., Ribeiro, A. F., and Antunes, J. A. B. (2005a). “Post-cracking behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete.” Mater. Struct., 38(275), 47–56.
Barros, J. A. O., and Figueiras, J. A. (1998). “Experimental behaviour of fiber concrete slabs on soil.” Mech. Cohesive-Frict. Mater., 3(3), 277–290.
Barros, J. A. O., Pereira, E. B., Cunha, V. M. C. F., Ribeiro, A. F., Santos, S. P. F., and Queirós, P. A. A. A. V. (2005b). “PABERFIA—Lightweight sandwhich panels in steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete.” Technical Rep. No. 05-DEC/E-29, Dept. of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Univ. of Minho.
CEB-FIP. (1993). “Design code.” Model Code 1990, Bulletin d’Information No. 213/214, Comite Euro-Int. du Béton.
Dahlblom, O., and Ottosen, N. S. (1990). “Smeared crack analysis using generalized fictitious crack model.” J. Eng. Mech., 116(1), 55–76.
De Borst, R. (1987). “Smeared cracking, plasticity, creep and thermal loading—A unified approach.” Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng., 62(1), 89–110.
De Borst, R. (2002). “Fracture in quasi-brittle materials: A review of continuum damage-based approaches.” Eng. Fract. Mech., 69(2), 95–112.
EFNARC. (2002). Specification and guidelines for self-compacting concrete, EFNARC, Surrey, U.K.
EN. (2000). “Cement. Composition, specifications and conformity criteria for low heat common cements.” EN197-1:2000.
Lofgren, I. (2005). “Fibre-reinforced concrete for industrial construction.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden.
Okamura, H. (1997). “Ferguson lecture for 1996: Self-compacting high-performance concrete.” Concr. Int., 19(7), 50–54.
Pereira, E. N. B. (2006). “Steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete: From material to mechanical behaviour.” Pedagogical and Scientific Aptitude Proofs dissertation, Dept. Civil Engineering, Univ. of Minho, http://www.civil.uminho.pt/composites .
Poppe, A., and Shutter, G. D. (2005). “Cement hydration in the presence of high filler contents.” Cem. Concr. Res., 35, 2290–2299.
RILEM TC 14-CPC8. (1975). “Modulus of elasticity of concrete in compression: Final recommendation.” Mater. Constr. (Paris), 6(30), 25–27.
RILEM TC 162-TDF. (2002). “Test and design methods for steel fibre reinforced concrete—Final recommendation.” Mater. Struct., 35(253), 579–582.
Robins, P., Austin, S., and Jones, P. (2002). “Pull-out behaviour of hooked steel fibres.” Mater. Struct., 35(251), 434–442.
Rots, J. G. (1988). “Computational modeling of concrete fracture.” Ph.D. thesis, Delft Univ. of Technology.
Sena-Cruz, J. M. (2004). “Strengthening of concrete structures with near-surface mounted CFRP laminate strips.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Univ. of Minho, http://www.civil.uminho.pt/composites .
Sena-Cruz, J. M., Barros, J. A. O., Ribeiro, A. F., Azevedo, A. F. M., and Camões, A. F. F. L. (2004). “Stress-crack opening relationship of enhanced performance concrete.” Proc., 9th Portuguese Conf. on Fracture, EST Setubal, Portugal, 395–403.
van Mier, J. G. M. (1984). “Strain softening of concrete under multiaxial loading conditions.” Ph.D. thesis, Delft Technical Univ.
Yu, R. C., Ruiz, G. R., and Chaves, E. W. V. (2008). “A comparative study between discrete and continuum models to simulate concrete fracture.” Eng. Fract. Mech., 75(1), 117–127.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 6, 2006
Accepted: Dec 27, 2007
Published online: Aug 1, 2008
Published in print: Aug 2008
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Rob Y. H. Chai
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.