Effect of fiber characteristics on fresh properties of fiber-reinforced concrete with adapted rheology

Abstract

The influence of fiber type and volume on fresh properties of fiber-reinforced self-consolidating concrete (FR-SCC) and fiber-reinforced super-workable concrete (FR-SWC) was investigated. These mixtures were developed for infrastructure construction and repair, respectively, and the fibers were incorporated to reduce cracking and enhance service life of concrete structures. The fibrous mixtures were proportioned with a Type-G expansive agent (EA) to reduce shrinkage and mitigate the risk of cracking. The selected fibers included a propylene synthetic fiber, five different steel fibers, and a hybrid fiber containing steel and polypropylene multifilament fibers. The fiber volume was fixed at 0.5% for the FR-SCC mixtures and varied between 0.5% and 0.75% for the FR-SWC. The investigated FR-SCC and FR-SWC mixtures had initial slump flow of 660–700 mm and 505–570 mm, respectively, and exhibited excellent passing ability and adequate stability. The investigated FR-SCC and FR-SWC mixtures with passing ability index greater than or equal to 12 and 11, respectively, evaluated using the modified J-Ring test exhibited good flowability without blockage and segregation. The passing ability index was inversely proportional to plastic viscosity for mixtures of a given coarse aggregate content and maximum nominal size of aggregate. Good relationships between slump flow and yield stress and T50 and plastic viscosity were established for the fibrous mixtures.