A precise solution for prediction of fiber-reinforced concrete behavior under flexure

Abstract

This paper presents a precise solution to predict the behavior of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) under the four point bending test (FPBT). All the force components at the beam section (before and after cracking) are formulated by applying these assumptions: a realistic stress-strain model is used for concrete behavior in compression, a linear response is considered for the uncracked tension region in a concrete constitutive model, and an exponential relationship is proposed as a stress-crack opening in the crack region which requires two parameters. Then the moment capacity of the critical cracked section is calculated by using these forces and satisfying equilibrium law at the section. Parametric studies are done on the behavior of SFRC to assess the sensitivity of the solution. Finally, this solution is validated with some existing experimental data. The result shows the proposed solution is able to estimate the behavior of SFRC under FPBT.