Static Behavior of Layered Fiber Reinforced Concrete T-Shaped Beam

Abstract

This paper proposes a concept of layered fiber reinforced concrete (LFRC) beam. In the concept of a LFRC beam, low-modulus fiber and high-modulus fiber are randomly dispersed and uniformly distributed into the concrete matries of the compression and tension zones, respectively. The static behaviors of LFRC beam are investigated from both experimental and numerical aspects. Four-point bending tests are performed on two simply supported T-shaped LFRC beam specimens and an ordinary T-shaped RC beam specimen with large scales. Comparison between the testing results of LFRC and RC beam specimens shows that the initial cracking load, flexural toughness and post-yielding stiffness of a LFRC beam can be significantly improved, but the ultimate loads are nearly without change. Numerical simulations are also carried out to investigate the static behaviors of the LFRC beam specimens. It is found that the simulation results are agreed well with that of tests. Further numerical parameter analysis for the LFRC beam specimens is conducted. The effects of high-modulus fiber volume fraction on the static behaviors of LFRC beams are studied. The research results show that the additions of high-modulus fibers have little effect on the initial stiffness, yielding loads and ultimate loads of LFRC beams; both the load and displacement at the initial cracking point increase linearly with the increasing volume fraction of the high-modulus fiber, but both the yielding displacement and ultimate displacement decrease linearly with the increasing volume fraction of the high-modulus fiber.