Crack control in concrete members reinforced by conventional rebars and steel fibers

Abstract

Tension stiffening is still a matter of discussion within the scientific community. The ability of resisting tensile stresses by un-damaged concrete portions that spans in between cracks is significant and could be improved with adoption of tougher material as Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC). In addition, FRC may provide noticeable residual stresses at a crack location, linking the two adjacent faces due to the bridging effect provided by the fibers. Within this framework, this paper aims at further investigating the ability of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) in reducing the crack spacing and width by utilizing SFRCs with high post-cracking residual strengths.