Development of Long Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Concrete for Dynamic Strengthening
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25, Issue 10
Abstract
This paper discusses the development and testing of long carbon fibers—fibers 75 mm long or longer—to improve the resistance of reinforced concrete to dynamic loading, such as blasts and impact. In the past, attempts to use long fibers in concrete have failed as a result of both balling (agglomeration) and poor dispersion of the fibers. In the present study, two types of long carbon fibers were developed and optimized for their use in reinforced concrete. The resulting long carbon fiber-reinforced concrete (LCFRC) was subsequently evaluated through impact and blast testing. Full-scale blast testing revealed that these fibers significantly increased the resistance of concrete spalling. In terms of the amount of material lost during the blast, LCFRC panels outperformed nonfiber concrete panels by nearly a factor of 10. This significant reduction in weight loss for the LCFRC panels translates into a substantial decrease in harmful, flying debris in a blast event, and a corresponding reduction in blast lethality.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by both the U.S. Army Research Lab (ARL) and the Leonard Wood Institute (LWI) under Award Nos. W911NF-07-2-0062 and LWI-191-028, respectively. The conclusions and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of either ARL or LWI. The authors are also grateful for the ideas and assistance of Drs. Eric Musselman and Andrea Schokker, University of Minnesota Duluth, and Mr. Michael Koenigstein, Pro-Perma Engineered Coatings.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 25 • Issue 10 • October 2013
Pages: 1446 - 1455
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 8, 2012
Accepted: Sep 18, 2012
Published online: Sep 22, 2012
Discussion open until: Feb 22, 2013
Published in print: Oct 1, 2013
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