A micromechanical approach to elastic and viscoelastic properties of fiber reinforced concrete

Some aspects of the constitutive behavior of fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) are investigated within a micromechanical framework. Special emphasis is put on the prediction of creep of such materials. The linear elastic behavior is first examined by implementation of a Mori-Tanaka homogenization scheme. The micromechanical predictions for the overall stiffness prove to be very close to finite element solutions obtained from the numerical analysis of a representative elementary volume of FRC modeled as a randomly heterogeneous medium.The validation of the micromechanical concepts based on comparison with a set of experiments, shows remarkable predictive capabilities of the micromechanical representation.The second part of the paper is devoted to non-ageing viscoelasticity of FRC. Adopting a Zener model for the behavior of the concrete matrix and making use of the correspondence principle, the homogenized relaxation moduli are derived analytically. The validity of the model is established by mean of comparison with available experiment measurements of creep strain of steel fiber reinforced concrete under compressive load. Finally, the model predictions are compared to those derived from analytical models formulated within a one-dimensional setting.     

纤维打团效应对纤维混凝土抗拉性能的影响

针对纤维在混凝土中存在的打团效应引入了纤维均分系数,并建立了六种纤维打团模型。基于复合材料的力学理论,分析了纤维打团效应对纤维混凝土(FRC)抗拉性能的影响。结果表明:纤维均分系数随打团纤维根数的增大而减少;纤维打团效应的存在导致纤维临界体积掺加率有一定程度的增大,FRC的抗拉强度有不同程度的减小;FRC抗拉强度的损失与纤维临界体积掺加率均随纤维打团含量的增大而增大;考虑纤维打团效应的FRC拉伸强度计算值与试验值较为接近。     

Influence of fibers on bond strength of concrete exposed to elevated temperature

Concrete is a building material having good fire resistance and the resistance depend on many factors including the properties of its constituent materials. Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) apart from improving mechanical properties has better fire resistance than conventional concrete. Bond strength of concrete is one of the important properties to be considered by structural engineers while designing reinforced concrete cements. In this research, an experimental investigation has been carried out to determine the effect of fibers on the bond strength of different grades (M20, M30, M40 and M50) of concrete subjected to elevated temperature. Different types of fibers such as Aramid, Basalt, Carbon, Glass and Polypropylene were used in the concrete with a volume proportion of 0.25% to determine the bond strength by pull-out test. Prior to the pull-out test, the specimens were kept in a furnace and subjected to elevated temperatures following standard fire curve as per ISO 834. Based on the test results of the investigations, type of fiber, grade of concrete and duration of heating were found to be the key parameters that affect the bond strength of concrete. The contribution of carbon fiber in enhancing the bond strength was found to be more significant compared to other fibers. An empirical relationship has been developed to predict the bond strength of FRC at a slip of 0.25?mm. This empirical relationship is validated with experimental results.     

不同弹性模量纤维混杂增强活性粉末混凝土的力学性能研究

为了提高活性粉末混凝土的韧性,通过掺杂不同弹性模量的纤维,制备了纤维增强混凝土。采用ASTMC1018韧性指数法,评价了增韧效果。结果表明:碳纤维能够在微观尺度上,减少混凝土中缺陷的数量,改善混凝土内部结构,增强、阻裂作用明显,基体强度较高。钢纤维在宏观尺度上,对于混凝土的阻裂作用明显,混凝土的延展性显著提高。混掺碳-钢纤维,虽然能提高基体的初裂强度,但是韧性却有所降低。     

Multiple cracking and strain hardening in fiber-reinforced concrete under uniaxial tension

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) showing strain hardening after cracking is commonly defined as High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composite (HPFRCC). In the post-cracking stage, several cracks develop before complete failure, which occurs when tensile strains localize in one of the formed cracks. As is well known, multiple cracking and strain hardening can be achieved in cement-based specimens subjected to uniaxial tension by increasing the volume fraction of steel fibers with hooked ends, or by using plastic fibers with and without steel fibers, or by means of high bond steel fibers (e.g., twisted fibers or cords). To better understand why, in such situations, high mechanical performances are obtained, an analytical model is herein proposed. It is based on a cohesive interface analysis, which has been largely adopted to investigate the mechanical response of FRC or the snubbing effects produced by inclined fibers, but not the condition of multiple cracking and strain hardening of HPFRCC. Through this approach, all the phenomena that affect the post-cracking response of FRC are evidenced, such as the nonlinear fracture mechanics of the matrix, the bond–slip behaviour between fibers and matrix, and the elastic response of both materials. The model, capable of predicting the average distance between cracks as measured in some experimental campaigns, leads to a new design criterion for HPFRCC and can eventually be used to enhance the performances of cement-based composites.     

Properties of wet-mixed fiber reinforced shotcrete and fiber reinforced concrete with similar composition

Fiber reinforced shotcrete (FRS) is commonly used in slope protection, tunnel linings as well as structural repair and rehabilitation. For the design of shotcrete mixes, it is of interest to see if data on fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) can be employed as an initial guideline. In this study, various properties of FRS, including its compressive strength, flexural behavior, permeability and shrinkage behavior, are compared with FRC of similar composition. The results, based on five different mixes, indicate that the fabrication process (i.e., shotcreting vs. casting) can significantly affect compressive strength and permeability, but has relatively little effect on shrinkage behavior. The flexural strength of FRS is slightly higher than that for FRC in most cases, but the residual load carrying capacity in the postcracking regime can be significantly lower. Based on the differences in the properties of FRC and shotcrete, implications to material design are discussed.     

Water permeability of reinforced concrete with and without fiber subjected to static and constant tensile loading

In this study, an innovative permeability device allowing permeability measurement simultaneously to loading was used to investigate the water permeability and self-healing of reinforced concrete. The experimental conditions focused on normal strength concrete (NSC) and fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) tie specimens under static and constant tensile loadings. Crack pattern and crack openings under the same loadings were measured on companion specimens. Experimental results emphasized the positive contribution of fibers to the durability of reinforced concrete. Under static tensile loading, the FRC tie specimens were 60% to 70% less permeable than the NSC tie specimens at the same level of stress in the reinforcement. After 6 days of constant loading, the FRC showed greater self-healing capacity with a reduction in water penetration of 70% in comparison to 50% for the NSC. The main cause of self-healing was the formation of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃).     

Utilization of Recycled Carpet Waste Fibers for Reinforcement of Concrete and Soil

The use of recycled fibers from textile waste for concrete and soil reinforcement is a very attractive approach, with such benefits as performance enhancement, low-cost raw materials, and reduced needs for landfilling. This article discusses the general advantages of fiber reinforcement and reviews some studies on the use of carpet waste fibers for concrete and soil reinforcement. A study on recycled carpet waste fibers for fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) showed a significant toughness increase and reduced shrinkage. It included two concrete mix designs and a wide range of fiber dosage rates, from 0.07 to 2.0 vol.%. A research program on fiber-reinforced soil is underway for fiber characterization, analysis of the engineering properties of the fiber-soil systems, and field trials. A significant improvement in soil behavior under the triaxial loading condition was observed.     

钢纤维掺量对活性粉末混凝土基本力学性能的影响

通过试验研究了活性粉末混凝土的基本力学性能(抗压强度、抗折强度、耐高温性能),分析了钢纤维掺量对活性粉末混凝土力学性能的影响.并应用扫描电镜,从微观上分析了钢纤维掺量对RPC强度的影响,找出合理的钢纤维掺量为1.0%.     

混合钢纤维活性粉末混凝土力学性能研究

采用两种不同尺寸的钢纤维混合掺入活性粉末混凝土中;通过轴压、劈裂和四点弯曲的力学性能试验,研究混合钢纤维活性粉末混凝土的抗压强度、抗拉强度及抗折强度,得到不同钢纤维组合比例对活性粉末混凝土力学性能的改善作用;采用ASTMC1018提出的韧性指数法来衡量混合钢纤维活性粉末混凝土弯曲韧性.结果表明:同体积纤维掺量下,混合钢纤维活性粉末混凝土的立方体抗压强度、劈裂抗拉强度及弯曲抗折强度均较单掺一种纤维有一定程度的提高;混合掺入钢纤维后活性粉末混凝土韧性改善效果显著,采用0.5％长纤维与1.5％短纤维组合可以达到最佳增韧效果.     

Experimental and analytical study of hybrid fiber reinforced concrete prepared with basalt fiber under high temperature

The usage of mineral basalt fibers is a relatively novel and popular topic nowadays due to its abundant availability, low cost, and higher temperature resistance. In addition, the establishment of analytical models is beneficial because the experimental work is more time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, in this study, the inorganic mineral basalt fibers with different length and content in hybrid fiber concrete composite are investigated to assess its suitability at room temperature and under high temperature. In addition, a new analytical model for stress-stain curve of hybrid fiber concrete composite is developed and compared with the models in previous studies. The microstructure examination is also conducted after exposure to high temperature to explore the fiber morphology and interaction with matrix. The substantial improvement was indicated by addition of basalt fiber in hybrid fiber concrete for stress-strain response, peak stress, elastic modulus, peak strain, ultimate stain, toughness, and specific toughness at room temperature and at 850°C. It was revealed that the basalt fiber had demonstrated overall good appropriateness in the hybrid fiber concrete composite for all the compressive properties. Moreover, the proposed analytical model could be useful for prediction of analytical behavior from experimental data under high temperature for the research and design purposes.     

Toughness enhancement in steel fiber reinforced concrete through fiber hybridization

Crimped steel fibers with large diameters are often used in concrete as reinforcement. Such large diameter fibers are inexpensive, disperse easily and do not unduly reduce the workability of concrete. However, due to their large diameters, such fibers also tend to be inefficient and the toughness of the resulting fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) tends to be low. An experimental program was carried out to investigate if the toughness of FRC with large diameter crimped fibers can be enhanced by hybridization with smaller diameter crimped fibers while maintaining workability, fiber dispersability and low cost. The results show that such hybridization indeed is a promising concept and replacing a portion of the large diameters crimped fibers with smaller diameter crimped fibers can significantly enhance toughness. The results also suggest, however, that such hybrid FRCs fail to reach the toughness levels demonstrated by the smaller diameter fibers alone.     

Mechanical improvement of concrete by irradiated polypropylene fibers

Fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) contains fibers physically mixed with gravel, sand, cement, and water. So far, adequate mechanical performance of FRC has been obtained at high cost and using complex technologies; important here is the geometry and surface characteristics of the polymers. We have modified polymeric‐fiber surfaces by using gamma radiation. Irradiated polypropylene (PP) fibers were submitted to 0, 5, 10, 50, and 100 kGy of gamma irradiation dosages. First, tensile strength of PP fibers was evaluated, and then fibers blended at 0, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% in volume with Portland cement, gravel, sand, and water. The highest values of compressive strength were obtained with irradiated‐fibers at 10 kGy and 1.5% in volume of fiber. The result is 101 MPa, as compared to 35 MPa for simple concrete without fibers. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1426–1431, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Macroscopic effective mechanical properties of porous dry concrete

The pores and voids within concrete have a great influence on the macroscopic elastic modulus, strength and other mechanical properties of concrete. The present study determines the macroscopic mechanical properties of porous dry concrete composed of hollow void inclusions embedded in a concrete matrix. Based on a three-phase sphere model, the effective bulk modulus of a concrete composite with a hollow sphere in concrete matrix is obtained. The investigation on the influence of porosity on the effective shear modulus of porous dry concrete is carried out by using a hollow cylindrical tube model. Based on the assumption that the material is isotropic, homogeneous and elastic, the effective Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of porous concrete composites are derived. A comparison between the elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio derived from the present model and those from open literature indicates a good agreement. Furthermore, on the basis of the developed simplified analytical model, the quantitative effect of porosity on the macroscopic effective tensile and shear strengths of porous concrete in dry state are studied. Besides, their corresponding effective peak strains when porous dry concrete reaches its macroscopic effective tensile/shear strengths are also investigated and discussed. Also a comparison between the available tensile strength and two classical solutions is made to verify the rationality and accuracy of the present approach. The consistent results indicate that the proposed approach can predict the effective mechanical properties of porous dry concrete well, and the formulas are simple and convenient to use.     

The interfacial bond stress in steel fiber cement composites

In fiber cement composites most fibers are in a state of partial bond due to internal stresses arising from moisture migration during fabrication and subsequent volume changes in the matrix. A wide variation in the computed interfacial bond strength therefore occurs depending upon the type of test or when derived from phenomena such as crack spacing. In practice debonding of the fibers occurs in flexural tension in the presence of a strain gradient. This paper presents further data on steel fiber mortar and concrete to confirm the validity of the composite mechanics approach to predict the composite flexural strength. It is shown that the composition of the matrix and its strength properties influence the fiber-matrix interfacial bond stress and the relative contributions of the matrix and the fibers to the composite flexural strength.     

纤维矿渣微粉混凝土高温中的劈拉性能

通过高温（200～800℃）劈拉试验,测定124个纤维矿渣微粉混凝土（FRC-GGBFS）试件的劈拉强度和荷载—横向变形曲线,探讨温度、矿渣掺量、钢纤维掺量和聚丙烯纤维掺量对FRC-GGBFS的高温中劈拉强度和变形的影响,并通过不同温度下扫描电镜分析,探讨FRC-GGBFS的高温劣化过程。结果表明：随温度升高,FRC-GGBFS劈拉强度不断劣化,劈拉荷载—横向变形曲线渐趋扁平,韧性显著下降;矿渣微粉掺量为40%时,其对混凝土的高温中劈拉性能的改善最为显著;钢纤维显著提高了FRC-GGBFS的高温中劈拉强度和韧性;聚丙烯纤维能有效防止高温爆裂,其掺量为0.9 kg/m3时对FRC-GGBFS的高温中劈拉性能有明显改善。最后,建立了考虑温度、钢纤维体积率等影响的FRC-GGBFS高温中劈拉强度计算模型。     

Interfacial stress transfer in nylon‐6/E‐Glass microcomposites: Effect of temperature and strain rate

In this study, the interfacial properties between E‐glass fibers with different commercial sizings have been investigated on model composites with a nylon‐6 matrix. In particular, the fiber critical length was measured by means of the single‐fiber fragmentation test over a wide range of temperatures (from 25 to 175°C) and strain rates (from 0.0008 to 4 min⁻¹). The general trend observed is that the fiber critical aspect ratio increases as the temperature increases and it decreases as strain rate is increased. The fiber critical aspect ratio for unsized fibers resulted to be reasonably well linearly related to the square root of the fiber to matrix modulus ratio. This results is in accordance with the Cox's shear‐lag theoretical model and the Termonia's numerical simulations. Sized fibers display an higher deviation from the theoretical prevision probably because of the presence of interphases whose properties are different from the bulk matrix. As a consequence, the interfacial shear strength values resulted to be dependent on the fiber sizing. In particular, the fibers coated with an epoxy sizing showed a superior thermal stability of the fiber matrix‐interface with respect to the unsized or nylon compatible sized fibers.     

Non-structural cracking in RC walls: Part II. Quantitative prediction model

In this paper, for a quantitative assessment of non-structural cracking in an RC wall, an improved analytical model is proposed. First of all, to quantitatively calculate the cracking potential, an analytical model that can estimate the post-cracking behavior in an RC tension member is proposed. Unlike conventional approaches that use the bond-slip relationship or the assumed bond stress distribution, in our proposed approach the tensile strength of concrete at the post-cracking stage is quantified on the basis of polynomial strain distribution functions of steel and concrete. Predictions of cracking loads and elongations of reinforcing steel in RC tension members using the proposed model show good agreement with results from previous analytical studies and from experimental data. Subsequent comparisons of analytical results with test results verify that the combined use of both the approach in this paper as well as the approach previously introduced in the companion paper to this research make it possible to accurately predict the cracking behavior of RC walls. Additionally, the influence of changes in the material properties and construction conditions on the cracking in RC walls is investigated theoretically, using the numerical model proposed in this paper.     

Bonding behavior of concrete matrix and alkali-activated mortar incorporating nano-SiO2 and polyvinyl alcohol fiber: Theoretical analysis and prediction model

As an emerging construction material, alkali-activated mortar is considered as a sustainable alternative to cementitious composites for the repairing and reinforcement of existing defective buildings. Furthermore, the bonding performance of alkali-activated mortar and concrete matrix can be promoted by adding polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and nano-SiO₂ (NS). In this study, the effects of PVA fiber and NS contents, alkali-activated mortar type, concrete strength grade, and interfacial roughness on the bonding behavior of two-interfaced shear samples were explored. Based on the experimental results, the grey relation analysis was applied to evaluate the significance of each factor on the bond properties of the alkali-activated mortar and concrete matrix. A prediction model of artificial neural network (ANN) was established considering the effects of alkali-activated mortar type, concrete strength grade, and interfacial type on the bond strength of the samples. The relevant factors affecting bond strength derived by grey relation analysis and weight contribution algorithm was compared and analyzed. Results of the two-interfaced shear test showed that the addition of PVA fiber and NS can significantly boost the bonding property of the samples, and the bond strength increases with the increase of concrete strength grade, alkali-activated mortar strength, and interfacial roughness. Grey relation analysis results indicate that the interfacial type has the most noticeable effect on the bond strength of the samples, followed by the concrete strength grades and the alkali-activated mortar types. The optimum bond strength is derived from PN-C40-III, which is alkali-activated mortar with 0.6% PVA fiber and 1.0% NS contents, concrete strength grade of C40, and interface of type III. The prediction results of the ANN indicate that the predicted values of the bond strengths of the samples are consistent with the experimental values (R = 0.982), and the importance of each factor towards the bond behavior derived by the grey relation analysis and weight contribution algorithm is ultimately consistent after normalization.     

Mesoscale modelling of dynamic tensile behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete with spiral fibres

This paper performs numerical simulations of dynamic splitting tensile tests to study the dynamic properties of FRC materials. A two-dimensional mesoscale model is developed with consideration of the fibres, aggregates, and cement mortar. The FRC models with hooked-end fibres and newly developed spiral fibres are developed to investigate the effect of fibre shape on the dynamic properties of FRC material, such as the dynamic increase factor (DIF), the energy absorption capacity and the crack opening velocity. Accuracy of the numerical models for two types of FRC materials with 1% fibre content is verified with the experimental results. The effect of fibre content on the dynamic properties of the two FRC materials is also investigated. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed mesoscale model can reliably simulate the dynamic splitting tests of FRC materials. They also demonstrate the effectiveness of the spiral FRC in resisting the dynamic tensile loads as compared to the conventional hooked-end FRC.