Abstract
The volumetric changes of concrete, including drying shrinkage, are effectively controlled in steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) mixtures due to the action of the included steel fiber. The current code provision in ANSI/SDI C-2017 allows a minimum steel fiber content of 0.2% of the volume fraction of concrete to control drying shrinkage and to manage cracking in the slab. Limited research has addressed replacing the shear reinforcement in concrete beams with steel fiber. In this study, we used newly developed arched steel fiber to evaluate shrinkage characteristics, including free-drying shrinkage and restrained drying shrinkage, of SFRC and scaled-down deck slab elements. We compared the measured drying shrinkage test results to predicted results obtained from models found in the literature. We confirmed that, overall, the number, width, and length of cracks were reduced significantly at the surface of SFRC slabs when arched steel fiber at 0.2% volume fraction was included in the mixture.
Highlights
Drying Shrinkage on Arched SteelMinimizing time-dependent characteristics such as volume changes in concrete mixtures is a primary factor in the determination of the performance of concrete elements.Numerous types of fiber are commercially available to manage volume changes that induce cracking in concrete mixtures
The literature reports that the mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) are influenced by the fiber’s shape, aspect ratio, strength, and inclusion amount
We conducted free- and restrained-drying shrinkage tests to evaluate the drying shrinkage characteristics of concrete reinforced with arched steel fiber
Summary
Minimizing time-dependent characteristics such as volume changes in concrete mixtures is a primary factor in the determination of the performance of concrete elements. The literature reports that the mechanical properties of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) are influenced by the fiber’s shape, aspect ratio, strength, and inclusion amount. C-2017 [4], suggest that the minimum allowable steel fiber content of 14.8 kg/m3 should be used to control the drying shrinkage and cracking of concrete deck slabs. Free-drying shrinkage tests of SFRC using the aspect ratio and mix ratio of hooked-end steel fiber as variables and found that the free-drying shrinkage strain of SFRC is about 50% to 60% less than that of plain concrete [6]. Hooked-end steel fiber has been shown in previous studies to improve mechanical properties, but it provides excellent control of drying shrinkage.
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