Experimental Investigation on Self-Compacting Fiber Reinforced Concrete Slabs

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this thesis is to determine the effect of steel fibers on mechanical performance of traditionally reinforced self-competing concrete (SCC) slabs. The design is based on flexural failure; subsequently the dimensions of slabs are determined to prevent shear failure. In this study, slabs designed for concrete classes of C20 and C40 with self-compacting concrete in the dimensions of 2200×300×200 mm were tested. For each type of mix, four different volume percentages of 60/30 (length/diameter) fiber (0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 2%) were used and it provided a total of 14 types of slab models. For these tests, an IPE 400 was used by two shafts beneath it for dividing the load in two equal parts. Data Logger machine was used to crack the slabs by applying the two point load in the middle of the slab. During the test, 4 strain sensors were placed at the top and bottom of each slab and also a transducer was placed at the bottom center of it. According to the experimental tests which have been made in this investigation, the result revealed that fibers can improve some properties of self-compacting concrete such as flexural strength and enhance mechanical performance. By performing flexural tests, slabs behavior were improved due to fiber influence on energy absorption and flexural behavior. The results clearly showed that the use of fiber can improve the post-cracking behavior. And also, fiber can increase the tensile strength by bridging through the cracks. Therefore, steel fibers increase the ductility and energy absorption capacity of RC elements subjected to flexure. Keywords: Self-Compacting Concrete, Steel Fibers, Flexural Strength, Reinforced Concrete, Energy Absorption Capacity. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………