Experimental and numerical analysis of concrete slabs reinforced with rebar and recycled steel fibers from waste car tyres

Abstract

In light of various initiatives taken around the world to convert waste materials into new products, the objective of this paper is to promote the use of steel fibers from recycled car tyres in the concrete industry. Hybrid steel fiber reinforced concrete (HSFRC) is a material that combines two or more types of steel fibers, in this case: manufactured steel fibers and recycled steel fibers from waste car tyres in equal proportions. The main objective of the presented research was to investigate the possible application of HSFRC in structural elements with conventional reinforcing bars in order to improve the flexural behavior and to investigate the possibility of partially replacing the conventional reinforcement with steel fibers in terms of service performance. For this purpose, eight slab specimens with different reinforcement ratios were subjected to a four-point bending test to measure displacements, strength, and crack widths. The addition of a hybrid fiber mix to a conventionally reinforced concrete slab significantly reduced crack widths by up to 53%. The addition of fibers compensated for a conventional reinforcement reduction of 20% by reducing crack widths by up to 38%. It was observed that slightly more cracks opened with smaller widths and at smaller distances from each other in these slab types than in the conventionally reinforced reference slabs. Slabs with hybrid fiber mix and 44% reinforcement reduction showed no improvement in crack control compared to the conventionally reinforced concrete reference slabs. Using numerical models in ABAQUS simulating the flexural test on notched prismatic specimens, a calibration of the material models of plain concrete, and HSFRC was performed based on the test results. These validated material models were used for numerical modeling of slabs. The results of the analyses compared with the experimental results showed good agreement and confirmed the ability of the proposed material model of HSFRC to predict the flexural behavior of slabs with conventional reinforcement.