Shear Performance of Steel Fibrous Concrete Beams

Abstract

The influence of steel fibres in shear reinforced concrete beams subjected to monotonic and cyclic loading is experimentally investigated. Seven steel-fibre-reinforced concrete beams and conventionally reinforced beams without steel fibres, used as control specimens, were constructed for the purposes of this study. Hook-ended steel fibres with two different volume fractions (0.5% and 0.75%) have been used in the fibrous concrete beams of the test program as shear reinforcement. Two beams were tested in monotonically increasing four-pointed loading up to total failure of the specimen, and five beams were tested under cyclic deformations. The dimensions and the flexural reinforcement of all the beams examined were the same. Hook-ended steel fibres with an aspect ratio equal to 75 were used. The loading was imposed consistently in low rate, and the values of the load and the corresponding crack widths and deformation at the mid-span of the beams were reported. The conclusions drawn from the experimental results of the tested beams imply that the steel-fibre-reinforced beams exhibited improved shear performance with high shear capacities, enhanced energy dissipation capabilities and ameliorated crack patterns.