Effect of Fibre Type in Concrete on Crack Initiation

Abstract

Concrete is a traditionally used building material and its crack resistance can be improved by the addition of different types of fibres. Wedge splitting tests on specimens fabricated from five types of concrete mixture (six identical specimens from each mixture) were used to quantify the mechanical fracture parameters of these materials – a reference specimen without fibres, two others with steel fibres (Dramix, Tabix), and a final two with synthetic fibres (Enduro, Strux). Vertical load versus crack mouth opening displacement (P–CMOD) diagrams were recorded during the tests. The data points creating these diagrams were filtered first, subsequently processed and then evaluated using the double-K fracture model. Thus, values were obtained for e.g. Young’s modulus and fracture toughness. This paper is focused on quantification of the effect of the fibre type used in concrete on crack initiation, which corresponds to the beginning of stable crack growth in this sort of composite material.

The Statistical Approach to Study the Effects of the Size of Coarse Aggregates and Percentage of Steel Fiber on Mechanical Properties and Ductility of Concrete

“…Concrete was invented in the early-19th century, but the brittle's nature of concrete made civil engineers to search for a new kind of reinforcement [13]. Steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) was one of the earliest reinforcement [14]. Over the years, the different shapes, sizes, and surface finishing of fibers were manufactured to be easy to produce and practical to use [15][16].…”

Dynamic compressive behaviour of recycled tyre steel fibre reinforced concrete

“…To tackle this issue, discrete fibres such as steel, glass, synthetic and natural fibres are usually incorporated into concrete to form fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) and enhance the strengths and toughness of concrete [1,2]. For instance, concrete containing randomly dispersed steel fibres with different geometries and shapes exhibits superior compressive, flexural and splitting tensile strengths, crack resistance and durability [3][4][5][6]. However, in the context of a growing demand for sustainable and innovative development of building materials, an increasing number of studies have attempted to replace the steel fibres in concrete with recycled materials, e.g., end-of-life tyres [7][8][9].…”

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Use of SFRC in Structures and Its Current State of Development in the Construction Industry

“…Numerous efforts have been made so far [ 9 , 10 , 11 ] to determine the efficacy of fibers in terms of their post-crack energy absorption capacity and crack arrest capability in reinforced concrete. Steel-fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) is one of the most auspicious new structural materials, incorporating randomly dispersed steel fibers of diverse geometries and sizes into the cement matrix to solve the challenges of the brittleness and crack susceptibility of cementitious composites [ 12 ]. Each year, approximately 0.3 million tonnes of steel fibers are brought to market on a global scale, and it is anticipated that this number will rise by 20% annually [ 13 ].…”