Title: Evaluating the Eco-Mechanical Performances of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

Author(s): Alessandro P. Fantilli, and Bernardino Chiaia

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 299

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 1-12

Keywords: Fiber-reinforced concrete, Mechanical performances, Ecological performances, Tensile strength, Flexural strength, Work of fracture, Crack width

DOI: 10.14359/51688016

Date: 1/1/2015

Abstract:
A comparison among different structural concretes is herein performed in order to select, or tailor, new eco-friendly and high performance cement-based composites. The ecological impact and the mechanical behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) ties and beams are both assessed by of means the so-called eco-mechanical index (EMI). The crack width of RC structures, the embodied energy and the carbon dioxide released by the production of concretes, are the main parameters of EMI. As a result, the best eco-mechanical performances can be easily achieved by using a normal strength cementitiuos concrete having high fracture toughness (i.e., by adding steel fibers to normal strength concrete). Moreover, in an eco-mechanical analysis, the work of fracture, either in tension or in bending, is sufficient to define the mechanical performances and durability of normal and high-strength of RC structures, without measuring crack width.