• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.315-325
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• 2017

The purpose of the paper is to determine the influence of two widely used steel fibers and polypropylene fibers on the sulphate crystallization resistance, freeze-thaw resistance and surface wettability of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC). Tests were carried out on cubes and cylinders of plain UHPC and fiber reinforced UHPC with varying contents ranging from 0.25 to 1% steel fibers and/or polypropylene fibers. Extensive data from the salt resistance test, frost resistance test, dynamic modulus of elasticity test before and after freezing-thawing, as well as the contact angle test were recorded and analyzed. Fiber hybridization relatively increased the resistance to salt crystallization and freeze-thaw resistance of UHPC in comparison with a single type of fiber in UHPC at the same fiber volume fraction. The experimental results indicate that hybrid fibers can significantly improve the adhesion properties and reduce the wettability of the UHPC surface.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.1A
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• pp.55-64
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• 2012

Experimental investigation on the structural behavior of steel fiber-reinforced ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) beams subjected to shear are presented. Six tests carried out on simply supported I-beams under concentrated loads are presented. The parameters varied were the volume fraction of the fibers (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0%) and shear span-effective depth ratio (2.5, 3.4). The test results indicated that ultimate shear strength increased with increasing fiber volume, and that ultimate shear strength decreased with increasing shear span-effective depth ratio. In addition, applicability of predictive equations for evaluating the ultimate shear strength of steel fiber-reinforced UHPC beams are estimated based on the test results. The comparison between computed values and the experimentally observed values are shown to validate the proposed theoretical equations. It is found that predictions by using AFGC and JSCE recommendations provide the most accurate estimates of shear strength of steel fiber-reinforced UHPC beams.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.771-778
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• 2014

This paper concerns the flexural behavior of hybrid steel fiber-reinforced ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) beams. It presents experimental research results of hybrid steel fiber-reinforced UHPC with steel fiber content of 1.5% by volume and steel reinforcement ratio of less than 0.02. This study aims at providing realistic information about UHPC beams in bending in order to establish a reasonable prediction model for flexural resistance in structural code in the future. The experimental results show that hybrid steel fiber-reinforced UHPC is in favor of cracking resistance and ductility of beams. The ductility indices range through 9.2 to 15.2, which means high ductility of UHPC. Also, the flexural capacity of beam which contains stirrups in pure bending zone is similar to that of beam which does not contain stirrups in pure bending zone. This result represents that the flexural capacity is not affected by the presence of stirrups whose spacing is 150 mm in bending zone.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.213-221
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• 2016

Uniaxial compression tests for ultra-high performance hybrid steel fiber reinforced concrete (UHPC) were performed to evaluate the compressive behavior of UHPC. The UHPC for testing contains hybrid steel fibers with a predetermined ratio using a length of 19 mm and 16 mm straight typed steel fibers. Test parameter was determined as a fiber volume ratio to investigate the effect of fiber volume ratio on the strength and secant modulus of elasticity. Test results showed that the compressive strength and elastic modulus of UHPC increased with increasing the fiber volume ratio. Based on the test results, the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity equations were proposed as function of the compressive strength of unreinforced and fiber reinforced UHPC, respectively. The simplified equations for predicting the mechanical properties of the UHPC were a good agreement with the test data. The proposed equations are expected to be applied to the SFRC and UHPC with steel fibers.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.76-83
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• 2021

This study examines the bending behavior of lap-spliced ultra-high-strength fiber-reinforced concrete members and evaluates the safety of the design codes for ultra-high-strength fiber-reinforced concrete structures. An experiment on a total of six beams was performed. The main variables were the fiber-inclusion and the lap-spliced length at the center of the beams. The steel fibers in a volume fraction of 2% were used, and the lap-splice lengths were determined to be 8db and 16db. As a result of the test, the specimens not reinforced with fiber lost abrupt load-bearing capacity at the lap region and did not experience yielding of the reinforcing bar. In the case of fiber-reinforced concrete, if a lap-splice length of 16db is secured, the yielding of the main reinforcing bar can be experienced, and appropriate flexural strength can be expressed. Based on the experimental results of this study, as a result of reviewing the lap-splice length calculation formulas of the current design standards and the ultra-high-strength concrete structural design recommendations, it was found that all of them were evaluated conservatively.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.409-412
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• 2004

Over last decade extensive researches have been undertaken on the strength behaviour of Fiber Reinforced Concrete(FRC) structures. But the use of Ultra-High Strength Steel Fiber Cementitious Concrete Composites is in its infancy and there is a few experiments, analysis method and design criteria on the structural elements constructed with this new generation material which compressive strength is over 150 MPa and characteristic behaviour on the failure status is ductile. The objective of this paper is to investigate and analyze the behaviour of reinforced rectangular structural members constructed with ultra high performance cementitious composites (UHPCC). This material is known as reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixed with domestic materials and its compressive strength is over 150MP. The variables of test specimens were shear span ratio, reinforcement ratio and fiber quantity. Even if there were no shear stirrups in test specimens, most influential variable to determine the failure mode between shear and flexural action was proved to be shear span ratio. The characteristics of ultra high-strength concrete is basically brittle, but due to the steel fiber reinforcement behaviour of this structure member became ductile after the peak load. As a result of the test, the stress block of compressive zone could be defined. The proposed analytical calculation of internal force capacity based by plastic analysis gave a good prediction for the shear and flexural strength of specimens. The numerical verification of the finite element model which constitutive law developed for Mode I fracture of fiber reinforced concrete correctly captured the overall behaviour of the specimens tested.

• Journal of Korean Association for Spatial Structures
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2015

Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) has a outstanding tensile hardening behaviour after a crack develops, which gives ductility to structures. Existing shear strength model for fiber reinforced concrete is entirely based on crack opening behavior(mode I) which comes from flexural-shear failure, not considering shear-slip behavior(mode II). To find out the mode I and mode II behavior on a crack in UHPFRC simultaneously, maximum shear strength of cracked UHPFRC is investigated from twenty-four push-off test results. The shear stress on a crack is derived as variable of initial crack width and fiber volume ratio. Test results show that shear slippage is proportional to crack opening, which leads to relationship between shear transfer strength and crack width. Based on the test results a hypothesis is proposed for the physical mechanics of shear transfer in UHPFRC by tensile hardening behavior in stead of aggregate interlocking in reinforced concrete. Shear transfer strength based on tensile hardening behavior in UHPFRC is suggested and this suggestion was verified by comparing direct tensile test results and push-off test results.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-22
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• 2011

A numerical model that can simulate the nonlinear behavior of ultra high strength fiber-reinforced concrete (UHSFRC) structures subject to monotonic loadings is introduced. Since engineering material properties of UHSFRC are remarkably different from those of normal strength concrete and engineered cementitious composite, classification of the mechanical characteristics related to the biaxial behavior of UHSFRC, from the designation of the basic material properties such as the uniaxial stress-strain relationship of UHSFRC to consideration of the bond stress-slip between the reinforcement and surrounding concrete with fiber, is conducted in this paper in order to make possible accurate simulation of the cracking behavior in UHSFRC structures. Based on the concept of the equivalent uniaxial strain, constitutive relationships of UHSFRC are presented in the axes of orthotropy which coincide with the principal axes of the total strain and rotate according to the loading history. This paper introduces a criterion to simulate the tension-stiffening effect on the basis of the force equilibriums, compatibility conditions, and bond stress-slip relationship in an idealized axial member and its efficiency is validated by comparison with available experimental data. Finally, the applicability of the proposed numerical model is established through correlation studies between analytical and experimental results for idealized UHSFRC beams.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.57-60
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• 2005

The objective of this paper is to investigate and analyze the behaviour of prestressed I section structural members constructed with ultra high perfomance steel fiber reinforced cementitious concrete (SFR-UHPC). This material is known as reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixed with domestic materials and its compressive strength is over 150MP. The parameters of test specimens were span to depth ratio, prestressing force, prestressing wire placement and web width. Most influential parameter to determine the failure mode between shear and flexural action was proved to be shear span ratio. The characteristics of ultra high-strength concrete is basically brittle, but due to the steel fiber reinforcement behaviour of this structure member became ductile after the peak load. As a result of the test, the stress block of compressive zone should be redefined. The proposed analytical calculation of internal force capacity based by plastic analysis gave a good prediction for the shear and flexural strength of specimens. The numerical verification of the finite element model which constitutive law developed for Mode I fracture of fiber reinforced concrete correctly captured the overall behaviour of the specimens tested.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.sup3
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• pp.33-41
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• 2016

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) is one of the most promising construction materials because it exhibits high performance, such as through high strength, high durability, and proper rheological properties. However, it has low tensile ductility compared with other normal strength grade high ductile fiber-reinforced cementitious composites. This paper presents an experimental study on the tensile behavior, including tensile ductility and crack patterns, of UHPC reinforced by hybrid steel and polyethylene fibers and incorporating plastic beads which have a very weak bond with a cementitious matrix. These beads behave as an artificial flaw under tensile loading. A series of experiments including density, compressive strength, and uniaxial tension tests were performed. Test results showed that the tensile behavior including tensile strain capacity and cracking pattern of UHPC investigated in this study can be controlled by fiber hybridization and artificial flaws.