Title: Toughness of Slurry Infiltrated Fibrous Concrete (SIFCON)

Author(s): V. S. Parameswaran, K. Balasubramanian, V. Ramakrishnan, and T. S. Krishnamoorthy

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 142

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 43-60

Keywords: cracking (fracturing); ductility; energy absorption; slurries; fiber reinforced concretes; flexural strength; load-deflection curve; metal fibers; standards; tests; toughness; Materials Research

DOI: 10.14359/1180

Date: 1/1/1994

Abstract:
It is well recognized that steel fiber reinforced concrete composites exhibit improved resistance to fracture and impact loads. Both fracture and impact resistance are primarily governed by the toughness characteristics of the material defined by its energy-absorption capacity. Toughness can be measured by carrying out tests involving direct tension, compression, or flexure. However, flexural tests are favored for measurement of toughness because of their simplicity and also their close representation of the stress conditions under field conditions. The test procedures for the measurement of toughness indexes given in codes of practice such as ASTM C 1018, JCI-SF4, JSCE-SF4, and ACI 544 help to obtain information on the qualitative performance of different materials and mix designs. Little information has been reported on the toughness characteristics of slurry-infiltrated fibrous concrete (SIFCON), which is basically a material formed by infiltrating a preplaced "fiber stack" with a cement slurry. This paper describes the details of toughness tests carried out on SIFCON at the Structural Engineering Research Centre, Madras, India, and summarizes the results of the investigations.