Title: Role of Fibers in Controlling Failure Modes of High-Strength Concrete Beams

Author(s): M. Imam and L. Vandewalle

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 193

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 503-518

Keywords: beam; crack; diagonal tension; failure; high-strength concrete; shear

DOI: 10.14359/5841

Date: 8/1/2000

Abstract:
The paper investigates the shear strength and the failure modes of high strength concrete beams with and without steel fibers ( fC = 110 MPa). Sixteen reinforced high strength concrete beams (3600x350~200 mm) were tested under different combinations of shear force and bending moment. The beams were singly reinforced and without shear (web) reinforcement. The test results indicated that the addition of steel fibers to high strength concrete increases the ultimate shear strength, improves the brittle characteristic and transforms the failure mode into a more ductile one. The average gain of the ultimate shear strength due to the addition of steel fibers varied from about 14% to 14 1% depending on the shear span to depth ratio and the longitudinal steel ratio. Four modes of failure of reinforced high strength concrete are clearly distinguished as; diagonal tension, shear compression, shear flexure, and flexural failure. In general, cracks in fiber reinforced concrete beams are closer, narrower, and more than those in beams without fibers. This reflects the effect of steel fibers in redistributing the stresses beyond cracking.