Failure modes and serviceability of high strength self compacting concrete deep beams

The behaviour of deep beams is significantly different from shallow beams. In deep beams, the plane section does not remain plane after deformation. The main purpose of this study is to facilitate the prediction of deep beam failure related to tensile bar and web reinforcement percentage variations. Six high strength self compacting concrete (HSSCC) deep beams were tested until failure. Strains were measured on concrete surface along mid span, tensile bar and compression strut trajectory. The load was incrementally applied and at each load increment new cracks, their widths and propagation were monitored. The results clearly show that, at ultimate limit condition, the strain distribution on concrete surface along mid-span is no longer parabolic. In deep beams several neutral axes were obtained before ultimate failure is reached. As the load increases, the number of neutral axis decreases and at failure load it reduces to one. The failure of deep beams with longitudinal tensile steel reinforcement less than that suggested by ACI codes is flexural and is accompanied by large deflections without any inclined cracks. As the longitudinal tensile steel reinforcement increases, the failure due to crushing of concrete at nodal zones was clearly observed. The first flexural crack at mid-span region was always vertical. It appeared at 25–42% of peak load. The crack length was in the range of 0.24–0.6 times the height of section. As the tensile bar percentage increases number of cracks increases with reduced crack length and crack width. The appearance of first inclined crack in compression strut trajectory is independent of tensile and web bar percentage variations.     

Response of steel fiber reinforced high strength concrete beams: Experiments and code predictions

The shear-flexure response of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams was investigated.Thirty-six reinforced concrete beams with and without conventional shear reinforcement (stirrups) were tested under a four-point bending configuration to study the effectiveness of steel fibers on shear and flexural strengths, failure mechanisms, crack control, and ductility.The major factors considered were compressive strength (normal strength and high strength concrete up to 100 MPa), shear span-effective depth ratio (a/d = 1.5, 2.5, 3.5), and web reinforcement (none, stirrups and/or steel fibers).The response of RC beams was evaluated based on the results of crack patterns, load at first cracking, ultimate shear capacity, and failure modes.The experimental evidence showed that the addition of steel fibers improves the mechanical response, i.e., flexural and shear strengths and the ductility of the flexural members.Finally, the most recent code-based shear resistance predictions for SFRC beams were considered to discuss their reliability with respect to the experimental findings. The crack pattern predictions are also reviewed based on the major factors that affect the results.     

Effects of steel fiber addition on the behaviour of biaxially loaded high strength concrete columns

This paper presents the effects of various amounts of steel fibers on the behaviour of eccentrically loaded high strength reinforced concrete columns. A total of 14 both short and slender square section steel fiber and plain high strength reinforced concrete column specimens were constructed and tested to investigate the addition of steel fibers on load–deflection behaviour, ultimate strength capacity, ductility and confinement. The complete nonlinear experimental stress–strain relationships of steel fiber and plain high strength concrete were obtained for different concrete strengths. In the study, a theoretical procedure considering the nonlinear behaviour of the materials is proposed for ultimate strength analysis and load–deflection behaviour of eccentrically loaded columns including slenderness effect. The complete experimental and theoretical biaxial load–deflection curves of the column specimens have been obtained and reported in the paper. The column specimens and some steel fiber columns available in the literature have been analysed for the ultimate strength capacities. Good agreement has been achieved between the analysis and the test results.     

Response of high performance concrete plates to impact of non-deforming projectiles

The relatively recent technology, which enables the production of high strength concrete (HSC), makes HSC a prospective material for the construction of impact-resisting barriers. However, current penetration formulae are based on test data of normal strength concrete (NSC) and their extrapolation to higher concrete strengths is unsafe. The response of 80×80 cm high performance concrete (HPC) plate specimens to an impact of non-deforming steel projectiles was examined in an experimental study. The tests were planned with an aim to observe the influence of the concrete mix ingredients and amount and type of reinforcement on the performance of HSC under this type of loading. The variants that were examined were the aggregates (different types and maximum size), addition of micro-silica (MS) and steel fibers, and reinforcement details. The main findings show that design of HPC barriers to withstand impact loads involves several aspects. These are aimed at achieving enhanced properties of the structural element, where only one of which is the concrete's compressive strength.     

Constitutive modeling of creep-fatigue interaction for normal strength concrete under compression

Conventional approaches to model fatigue failure are based on a characterization of the lifetime as a function of the loading amplitude. The Wöhler diagram in combination with a linear damage accumulation assumption predicts the lifetime for different loading regimes. Using this phenomenological approach, the evolution of damage and inelastic strains and a redistribution of stresses cannot be modeled. The gradual degration of the material is assumed to not alter the stress state. Using the Palmgren–Miner rule for damage accumulation, order effects resulting from the non-linear response are generally neglected.In this work, a constitutive model for concrete using continuum damage mechanics is developed. The model includes rate-dependent effects and realistically reproduces gradual performance degradation of normal strength concrete under compressive static, creep and cyclic loading in a unified framework. The damage evolution is driven by inelastic deformations and captures strain rate effects observed experimentally. Implementation details are discussed. Finally, the model is validated by comparing simulation and experimental data for creep, fatigue and triaxial compression.     

Flexural strength of palm oil clinker concrete beams

This paper presents an experimental program on the flexural behaviour of reinforced concrete beams produced from palm oil clinker (POC) aggregates. POC is obtained from by-product of palm oil milling. Utilisation of POC in concrete production not only solves the problem of disposal of this solid waste but also helps to conserve natural resources. An experimental work was conducted involving eight under-reinforced beams with varying reinforcement ratios (0.34–2.21%) which were fabricated and tested. The data presented include the deflection characteristics, cracking behaviour and ductility indices. It was found that although palm oil clinker concrete (POCC) has a low modulus of elasticity, the test results revealed that the deflection of singly reinforced POCC beams, with reinforcement ratio less than 0.524, under the design service load is acceptable as the span-deflection ratios range between 250 and 257 and these values are within the allowable limit provided by BS 8110. In addition, the results reported in this paper indicate that the BS8110 based design equations can be used for the prediction of the flexural capacity of POCC beams with reinforcement ratio up to 2.23%.     

Experimental investigation of steel fiber reinforced concrete box beams under bending

Reduction of dead weight of a reinforced-concrete (RC) structure without too much concession in its load carrying capacity has always been an attractive study subject because it engenders (1) a decrease in dimensions of the members, (2) a decrease in the reinforcement steel, and (3) a decrease in lateral inertia forces during severe earthquakes. In this study, nine RC beams of outer dimensions of 300 × 300 × 2000 mm, six of which are box beams, designed and produced using a C20 class steel fiber concrete, (SFRC) with the commonly used steel fiber type of Dramix-RC-80/0.60-BN at a dosage of 30 kg/m³, are tested under bending. The mechanical behaviours of all these nine beams under bending are recorded from the beginning of the test till the ultimate failure of the tensile reinforcement in a two-point beam-loading setup. The proportions of (1) loss in ultimate load versus reduction in dead weight and (2) (ultimate experimental load)/(ultimate theoretical load) of the SFRC box beams are determined for two different box thicknesses. Dimensionless behaviour relationships of all the SFRC beams are determined, and the experimentally obtained relationship between the ratio of (actual ultimate load)/(theoretical ultimate load) and the ratio of (wall thickness)/(beam height) for the SFRC box beams is expressed diagrammatically.     

Investigation of stress-strain models for confined high strength concrete

The effects of confinement reinforcement on the behaviour of high strength concrete columns are investigated for which prismatic experimental specimens were prepared. In the experiment specimens, four longitude reinforcement and confinement reinforcement were used. For each experiment, stress-strain relationship of concrete was obtained and compared with models proposed earlier. The results show that confinement reinforcement improved the ductility of high strength concrete. The ascending branch of stress-strain curves depended on the ratio of confinement reinforcement was similar to the modified Kent-Park model and the descending branch similar to the Nagashima model.     

Optimization of normal and high strength recycled aggregate concrete mixtures by using packing model

This paper analyzes the possibility of applying the Compressible Packing Model (CPM) for the proportion of concrete mixtures produced with Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCAs). As a matter of fact, the RCAs are composed of natural aggregates and attached mortar and, as a consequence, they generally present a higher porosity in comparison with ordinary natural aggregates. The higher porosity of RCAs can affect the resulting Recycled Aggregate Concretes (RACs) properties and, for this reason, the mix design procedure available in literature for ordinary concrete mixture cannot be applied as such in the case of RACs. In this context, the present work first presents a preliminary study in which the optimal mixing procedure for RACs is investigated and then, a possible extension of the CPM in the case of RACs is analyzed. Several structural RAC mixtures were designed for three strength classes (25, 45 and 65 MPa) by considering the variation of the aggregate replacement from 0 to 100%. Finally, the proposed procedure is experimentally validated by performing mechanical and durability tests on selected mixtures for the three strength classes with a RCAs content up to 60%. The results reported herein demonstrate the applicability of the CPM for recycled concrete mixtures and highlight as the rational use of RCAs lead to produce structural RAC without affecting its mechanical and the durability performance.     

Shear strength of concrete beams reinforced with steel bars milled from scrap metals

The paper reports a study on the shear resistance of concrete beams reinforced with mild steel bars that are milled from scrap metal such as old vehicle parts and obsolete machinery. It has been previously reported that because the chemical compositions of carbon, sulphur and phosphorus in these reinforcing steel bars exceed the maximum allowable limits, the characteristic tensile strengths are too high and ductility too low for standard mild steel. Concrete beams reinforced with such bars to resist flexural tensile and shear stresses were tested under a two-point loading system to provide a central constant moment region and outer shear spans. Tested beams exhibited little deflection and very low ductility prior to collapse. Experimental failure loads for the beams averaged 123% of the theoretical failure load, which was generally governed by either shear or yielding of the tension steel. Shear failure was mostly initiated by diagonal tension cracks, followed by either crushing of the concrete, or splitting of the concrete over the longitudinal tensile bars near the supports. Failure of the beams was brittle and the post-cracking strain energy absorption averaged 357.9 Nm. At failure the maximum crack width in the beams ranged from 1.12 to 5.0 mm, the largest sizes forming in the diagonal shear cracks.     

Size effect on failure of overreinforced concrete beams

The results of full-scale failure of singly reinforced four-point-bend beams of different sizes containing deformed longitudinal reinforcing bars are reported. The tests consisted of four groups with one, two and three different size combinations. The specimens were made of concrete with a maximum aggregate size of 10 mm. The beams were geometrically similar in one, two and three-dimensions, and even the bar diameter and cover thicknesses were scaled in proportion. The reinforcement ratio was 3%. The results revealed the existence of a significant size effect, which can approximately be described by the size effect law previously proposed by Bazant. The size effect is found to be stronger in two-dimensional similarities than for one and three-dimensional similarities.     

Effect of mineral admixtures and steel fiber volume contents on the behavior of high performance fiber reinforced concrete

High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (HPFRC) is a structural material with advanced mechanical properties. The structural design of HPFRC members is based on the post-cracking residual strength provided by the addition into the mix of the fibers. Moreover, the addition of different types of mineral admixtures influences the overall behavior of this material. In order to optimize the performance of HPFRC in structural members, it is necessary to evaluate the mechanical properties and the post-cracking behavior in a reliable way. As a result, an experimental study on six different sets of HPFRC specimens was carried out. The main parameters that varied were the fiber volume content and the types of mineral addition. The behavior in compression, in flexural tension and the shrinkage properties were evaluated and critically analyzed in order to give a guide for structural use.The results showed that by adding high fiber volume content and the Algerian blast furnace slag into the mix, the HPFRC material obtained has a very good performance and it is suitable for use in practice.     

Effect of loading rates on pullout behavior of high strength steel fibers embedded in ultra-high performance concrete

In this paper single fiber pull-out performance of high strength steel fibers embedded in ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is investigated. The research emphasis is placed on the experimental performance at various pullout rates to better understand the dynamic tensile behavior of ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHP-FRC). Based on the knowledge that crack formation is strain rate sensitive, it is hypothesized that the formation of micro-splitting cracks and the damage of cement-based matrix in the fiber tunnel are mainly attributing to the rate sensitivity. Hereby, different pull-out mechanisms of straight and mechanically bonded fibers will be examined more closely. The experimental investigation considers four types of high strength steel fibers as follows: straight smooth brass-coated with a diameter of 0.2 mm and 0.38 mm, half end hooked with a diameter of 0.38 mm and twisted fibers with an equivalent diameter of 0.3 mm. Four different pull out loading rates were applied ranging from 0.025 mm/s to 25 mm/s. The loading rate effects on maximum fiber tensile stress, use of material, pullout energy, equivalent bond strength, and average bond strength are characterized and analyzed. The test results indicate that half-hooked fibers exhibit highest loading rate sensitivity of all fibers used in this research, which might be attributed to potential matrix split cracking. Furthermore, the effect of fiber embedment angles on the loading rate sensitivity of fiber pullout behavior is investigated. Three fiber embedment angles, 0°, 20°, and 45°, are considered. The results reveal that there is a correlation between fiber embedment angle and loading rate sensitivity of fiber pullout behavior.     

Flow behaviour of high strength high-performance concrete

The workability of flowable High-Performance Concrete (HPC) is nowadays mainly measured using conventional test methods such as the slump test or the slump-flow test. These single-point tests do not seem sensitive enough to characterize the high-workability of HPC. Due to the fluid consistency and uniformity of fresh HPC, it is possible to describe its flow properties by using a rheological test method. To evaluate the flowability based on rheology, fresh HPC is regarded as a two-phase material composed of a matrix phase and a particle phase. In the study, the effects of materials and proportioning on the rheological properties were investigated experimentally. A new rheometer was established by conducting a two-point test to investigate the flow behaviour of high strength HPC. Test results show that the high strength HPC with good uniformity and without tendency of segregation can possess the properties of rheology according to Bingham’s equation. An increase of the fraction of mortar in HPC can lead to a more distinct the rheological behaviour. Moreover, it is found that the application of a rheological method can provide more stable results than any other test method in describing the flowability of high strength HPC.     

External reinforcement of high strength concrete columns

With the technology development on the compressive strength of concrete over the years, the use of high strength concrete has proved most popular in terms of economy, superior strength, stiffness and durability due to many advantages it could offer. However, strength and ductility are inversely proportional [J. Mater. Civil Eng. 11 (1999) 21]. High strength concrete is a brittle material causing failure to be quite sudden and ‘explosive' under loads. It is also known that structural concrete columns axially compressed rarely occur in practice. The stress concentrations caused by the eccentric loading further reduce the strength and ductility of high strength concrete. Therefore, studies for high strength concrete columns under eccentric loading are essential for the practical use.

This paper experimentally investigates a number of high strength concrete columns that are externally reinforced with galvanised steel straps and fibre-reinforced polymers subjected to concentric and eccentric loading. The experimental results show that external reinforcement can enhance the properties of high strength concrete columns.     

Influence of concrete strength on crack development in SFRC members

Tension stiffening is still a matter of discussion into the scientific community; the study of this phenomenon is even more relevant in structural members where the total reinforcement consists of a proper combination of traditional rebars and steel fibers. In fact, fiber reinforced concrete is now a worldwide-used material characterized by an enhanced behavior at ultimate limit states as well as at serviceability limit states, thanks to its ability in providing a better crack control.This paper aims at investigating tension stiffening by discussing pure-tension tests on reinforced concrete prisms having different sizes, reinforcement ratios, amount of steel fibers and concrete strength. The latter two parameters are deeply studied in order to determine the influence of fibers on crack patterns as well as the significant effect of the concrete strength; both parameters determine narrower cracks characterized by a smaller crack width.     

Shock properties of conventional and high strength concrete: Experimental and mesomechanical analysis

Large scale heterogeneity is a major problem when shock properties of concrete materials shall be derived efficiently. A mesomechanical method proposed earlier [Riedel W. Beton unter dynamischen Lasten: Meso- und makromechanische Modelle und ihre Parameter, Ed.: Fraunhofer-Institut für Kurzzeitdynamik, Ernst-Mach-Institut EMI. Freiburg/Brsg.: Fraunhofer IRB Verlag; 2004. p. 117–43. ISBN:3-8167-6340-5 〈http://www.irbdirekt.de/irbbuch/〉; Thoma K, Riedel W, Hiermaier S. Mesomechanical modeling of concrete shock response, experiments and linking to macromechanics by numerical analysis. In: Proceedings of European conference on computational mechanics, München, Germany, September 1999 (CD-ROM).], combining plate impact experiments on the constituents ‘cement’ and ‘aggregate’ together with simulations of the concrete mesostructure, is extended in this work. Hereby, the parameters describing macroscopic stress wave propagation are analysed in direct simulations of the discontinuous composite of aggregate, mortar and pores. This allows the replacement of an important number of experiments on large samples with inevitable scattering by a reduced set of smaller standard tests together with simulations. The basics and the validation of this methodology are demonstrated in the acoustic regime and compared to available shock experiments for a wide pressure range. The present paper describes the enlargement of the pressure range for the derived equation of state properties. Therefore, the concrete mortar has been impact tested in shock reverberation configuration leading to reflected pressures up to 18 GPa. The shock and equation of state properties are derived for two 35 MPa conventional strength mixtures and a 135 MPa high strength concrete. The results are compared to available literature sources.