Title: Effect of Specimen Size on the Compressive Response of High Strength Concrete Containing Fibers and Spiral Steel Reinforcement

Author(s): G. Campione and S. Mindess

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 216

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 19-32

Keywords: fiber-reinforced concrete; high strength concrete; polyolefin fibers; size effect law; steel fibers; steel spirals

DOI: 10.14359/12889

Date: 10/1/2003

Abstract:
The purpose of the present investigation was the study of the effect of specimen size on the compressive strength of concrete reinforced with steel spirals and with fibers. Concrete cylinders of different sizes were loaded under uniaxial compression. The cylinders, ranging in size from 60 x 120 mm to 100 x 400 mm, were reinforced with short fibers (steel and polyolefin) at volume percentages of 1% and 2%. Some specimens also contained transverse steel reinforcement (0 5 mm) at pitches of 25 and 50 mm. There was a reduction in compressive strength as the specimen size increased in all cases (plain concrete, fiber reinforced concrete or spirally reinforced concrete). The effect of the fibers and of the steel spirals was a reduction in the brittleness of composite with increasing size of the specimens. The experimental results confirm that the size effect laws proposed in the literature for compressive strength provide a satisfactory prediction of the reduction in compressive strength with increasing specimen size.