SHEAR STRENGTH OF STEEL FIBER-REINFORCED CONCRETE

This paper studies the shear behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) using direct shear tests. Two 50 mm-long steel fibers, one with flattened ends and a circular cross section and the other with a crimped geometry and a crescent cross section, were investigated at fiber volume fractions varying between 0-2%. Direct comparison was made with flexural toughness determined as per the ASTM C 1018 procedure. Both fibers were determined to provide significant improvements in shear strength and shear toughness, and these improvements were greater at higher fiber dosage rates. When the shear toughness of steel FRC was compared with its flexural toughness, there appeared to be a direct correlation. However, given the subjectivity of this type of comparison and the limited data generated in this work, further study is needed to fully understand and establish this correlation.