Theoretical analysis and numerical simulation of development length of straight steel fiber in cementitious materials

Abstract

In fiber-reinforced concrete, it is important to choose an appropriate length in each fiber to develop its full yield strength without a failure in the bond strength between the fiber and the concrete. This length is called the fiber development length, Ldf. The bond capacity is evaluated between the fiber and the concrete using the pull-out tests. This test evaluates the bond capacity of various types of steel fiber surfaces relative to a specific embedded length. If the steel fiber is smooth and straight, the distribution of tensile stresses will be uniform around the fiber at a specific section and varies along the anchorage length of the fiber and at a radial distance from the surface of the fiber. Pull-out tests can be performed on an embedded straight steel fiber in concrete matrix, in this case, the tensile force, P, is increased gradually and the number of cracks and their spacings and widths is recorded. The bond stresses vary along the fiber length between the cracks. The strain in the steel fiber is maximum at the cracked section and decreases toward the middle section between cracks. If the embedded length of the straight steel fiber is greater than the development length, the steel fiber may yield, leaving some length of the fiber in the concrete. The linear elastic behavior of the fiber-matrix system is interrupted by interface debonding which occurs due to overall weak bonding between the concrete matrix and the surface of the steel fiber. This paper introduces new developed shear lag model and explains simplified method to find the development length of straight steel fiber in concrete matrix using finite element model and analysis of shear lag stresses, where the maximum tension force which is applied on the steel fiber is resisted by another internal force related with the ultimate average bond stress, steel fiber diameter and its yield strength.