Mechanical properties of normal and high-strength concrete with steel fibers

Abstract EN

High-strength concrete is a brittle material, and the higher the strength of concrete the lower its ductility.

This inverse relation between strength and ductility is a serious drawback for the use of higher-strength concrete, and a compromise between these two characteristics of concrete can be obtained by adding discontinuous fibers.

Addition of fibers to concrete makes it more homogeneous and isotropic and transforms it from a brittle to a more ductile material.

The objective of this study is to investigate experimentally the mechanical properties of normal and high-strength steel fiber reinforced concrete.

A total of 288 specimens with concrete compressive strength ranging from 24 to 81 MPa (3,500 to 11,700 psi) were tested in this investigation to evaluate the effect of steel fibers on the stress-strain behavior, compressive strength, modulus of rupture, splitting tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio of both normal and high-strength concrete.