Flexural strength of reinforced concrete beams containing steel fibres

Abstract

Fibre reinforcement in the form of discrete fibres cannot be used as direct replacement of conventional steel. However, the superior resistance of fibre concrete to cracking and crack propagation may be utilised to improve the resistance of structural members to cracking, deflection and other serviceability conditions. In the present study, an experimental programme was carried out and three series of concrete beams have been tested including one series without conventional steel and two series of doubly reinforced concrete beams with equal reinforcement on tension and compression faces. The fibre contents for each series were 0% and 1% by volume, of fibre concrete, with fibre in the tension zone and in full section. The method for incorporation of effects of fibres in the flexural analysis of doubly reinforced concrete beams is slightly modified and used to analyse the beams and theoretical results are compared with experimental results.