Title:
Opportunities for synthetic fibre reinforcement in concrete tramlines
Author(s):
Juhasz, K.P.; Schaul, P.
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
343
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
163-172
Keywords:
Macro synthetic fibre reinforced concrete, finite element analysis, tramline design, concrete track slab.
DOI:
Date:
10/1/2020
Abstract:
In the past decade macro synthetic fibre reinforcement has become widely used for
concrete track slabs including tramlines. By using macro synthetic fibres as a reinforcement in
concrete slabs both the casting time and manual work will decrease, while the concrete’s
ductility will increase. In addition the durability will be higher with using synthetic fibres, and
the carbon footprint will be lower compared to steel mesh or fibre reinforcement. In most
cases the steel reinforcement can be omitted entirely from the structures using macro
synthetic fibres. The uniformly distributed fibres in the concrete can increase the residual
flexural strength of the concrete independently from the location. This makes it possible to
use the fibres in both cast in situ and precast elements used for tramlines. The calculation
process for these structures always has to comprise of both the static load, the dynamic load
and the effect of cyclic loading, i.e. fatigue. These load calculations can be handled using
advanced finite element analysis software, which is specialized for concrete and fibre
reinforced concrete structures. The paper will present the opportunities for using macro
synthetic fibres together with the process of designing fibre reinforced concrete tramlines.