• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.319-332
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• 2020

The impacts of reinforcing concrete matrix with steel fibers, polypropylene fibers and recycled plastic fibers using different volume fractions of 0.15%, 0.5%, 1.5% and 2.5% on the compressive and tensile characteristics are experimentally investigated in the current research. Also, flexural behavior of plain concrete (PC) beams, shear performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams and compressive characteristics of both PC and RC columns reinforced with recycled plastic fibers were studied. The experimental results showed that the steel fibers improved the splitting tensile strength of concrete higher than both the polypropylene fibers and recycled plastic fibers. The end-hooked steel fibers had a positive effect on the compressive strength of concrete while, the polypropylene fibers, the recycled plastic fibers and the rounded steel fibers had a negative impact. Compressive strength of end-hooked steel fiber specimen with volume fraction of 2.5% exhibited the highest value among all tested samples of 32.48 MPa, 21.83% higher than the control specimen. The ultimate load, stiffness, ductility and failure patterns of PC and RC beams in addition to PC and RC columns strengthened with recycled plastic fibers enhanced remarkably compared to non-strengthened elements. The maximum ultimate load and stiffness of RC column reinforced with recycled plastic fibers with 1.5% volume fraction improved by 21 and 15%, respectively compared to non-reinforced RC column.

• 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.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.623-636
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• 2012

The aim of the current work is to describe the flexural behaviour of simply supported concrete beams with tension reinforcement spliced at mid-span. The parameters included in the study were the type of the concrete, the splice length and the configuration of the hooked splice. Fifteen beams were cast using an ordinary concrete mix and two fiber reinforced concrete mixes incorporating steel and polypropylene fibers. Each concrete mix was used to cast five beams with continuous, spliced and hooked spliced tension steel bars. A test beam was reinforced on the tension side with two 12 mm bars and the splice length was 20 and 40 times the bar diameter. The hooked bars were spliced along 20 times the bar diameter and provided with 45-degree and 90-degree hooks. The test results in terms of cracking and ultimate loads, cracking patterns, ductility, and failure modes are reported. The results demonstrated the consequences due to short splices and the improvement in the structural behaviour due to the use of hooks and the confinement provided by the steel and polypropylene fibers.

• Journal of the Korea Concrete Institute
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.747-754
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• 2008

In this study, high strength concrete corbels reinforced with steel fibers and polypropylene fibers, and subjected to the vertical and horizontal loads were constructed and tested. The results showed that performance in terms of load carrying capacities, stiffness, ductility, crack width, and number of cracks was improved, as the steel fibers and polypropylene fibers were added. The polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete corbels resulted in higher ductility in presence of horizontal loads, but showed larger crack width than the steel fiber reinforced concrete corbels. And, the heads of the headed bars provided excellent end anchorage of the main tension tie reinforcement. Experimental results presented in this paper are also compared with various prediction models proposed by codes and researchers. The refined strut-and-tie model showed more accurate and conservative predictions in presence of horizontal loads, and the truss model proposed by Fattuhi provides fairly good predictions for fiber reinforced concrete corbels.

• Computers and Concrete
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.209-220
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• 2018

In order to evaluate the effect of hybrid fibers on the flexural performance of tunnel segment at room temperature, twelve reinforced self-consolidating concrete (SCC) symmetric inclination beams containing steel fiber, macro polypropylene fiber, micro polypropylene fiber, and their hybridizations were studied under combined loading of flexure and axial compression. The results indicate that the addition of mono steel fiber and hybrid fibers can enhance the ultimate bearing capacity and cracking behavior of tested beams. These improvements can be further enhanced along with increasing the content of steel fiber and macro PP fiber, but reduced with the increase of the reinforcement ratio of beams. The hybrid effect of steel fiber and macro PP fiber was the most obvious. However, the addition of micro PP fibers led to a degradation to the flexural performance of reinforced beams at room temperature. Meanwhile, the hybrid use of steel fiber and micro polypropylene fiber didn't present an obvious improvement to SCC beams. Compared to micro polypropylene fiber, the macro polypropylene fiber plays a more prominent role on affecting the structural behavior of SCC beams. A calculation method for ultimate bearing capacity of flexural SCC symmetric inclination beams at room temperature by taking appropriate effect of hybrid fibers into consideration was proposed. The prediction results using the proposed model are compared with the experimental data in this study and other literature. The results indicate that the proposed model can estimate the ultimate bearing capacity of SCC symmetric inclination beams containing hybrid fibers subjected to combined action of flexure and axial compression at room temperature.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.149-165
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• 2011

In this paper, the effects of both pozzolans and (steel and poly-propylene) fibers on the mechanical properties of roller compacted concrete are studied. Specimens for the experiments were made using a soil-based approach; thus, the Kango's vibration hammer was used for compaction. The tests in the first stage were carried out to determine the optimal moisture requirements for mix designs using cubic $150{\times}150{\times}150$ mm specimens. In the tests of the second stage, the mechanical behaviors of the main specimens made using the optimal moisture obtained in the previous stage were evaluated using 28, 90, and 210 day cubic specimens. The mechanical properties of RCC pavements were evaluated using a soil-based compaction method and the optimum moisture content obtained from the pertaining experiments, and by adding different percentages of Iranian pozzolans as well as different amounts of steel fibers, each one accompanied by 0.1% of poly-propylene fibers. Using pozzolans, maximum increase in compressive strength was observed to occur between 28 and 90 days of age, rupture modulus was found to decrease, but toughness indices did not change considerably. The influence of steel fibers on compressive strength was often more significant than that of PP fibers, but neither steel nor PP fibers did contribute to increase in the rupture modulus independently. Also, the toughness indices increased when steel fibers were used.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2023

This study presents the experimental results performed to evaluate the effects of Polyvinyl-alcohol (PVA) and Polypropylene (PP) fibers on the fresh and residual mechanical properties of the hybrid fiber reinforced SCC before and after the exposure of 250℃, 500℃ and 750℃ temperatures. The compressive and splitting tensile strength, modulus of rupture (MOR), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) as well as toughness and weight loss were investigated at different temperatures. PVA and PP fibers were added into SCC mixtures having only macro steel fiber and also having binary hybridization of both macro and micro steel fiber. The results showed that the use of micro steel fiber replaced by macro steel fiber improved the fresh and hardened properties compared to the use of only macro steel fiber. Moreover, it was emphasized that PVA or PP enhanced the residual flexural performance of SCC, generally, while it negatively influenced the workability, weight loss, UPV and the residual strengths with regards to the use of single steel fiber and binary steel fiber hybridization. Compared to the effect of synthetic fibers, PP had slightly more positive effect in the view of workability while PVA enhanced the residual mechanical properties more.

• International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.29-37
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• 2016

The paper presents a research project on the tensile properties of RPC mixed with both steel and polypropylene fibers after exposure to $20-900^{\circ}C$. The direct and the indirect tensile strength (in bending) were measured through tensile experiment on dog-bone specimens and bending experiment on $40{\times}40{\times}160mm$ prisms. RPC microstructure was analyzed using scanning electron microscope. The results indicate that, steel fibers can significantly improve the tensile performance of hybrid fiber-reinforced RPC, whereas polypropylene fibers have no obvious effect on the tensile performance. With increasing temperature, the flexural and axial tensile strength of hybrid fiber-reinforced RPC substantially decrease linearly, which attributes to the deteriorating microstructure. Based on the experimental results, equations are established to express the decay of the flexural and tensile strength with increasing temperature.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.378-389
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• 2010

Submarine tunnels are affected by the surrounding environments more than regular tunnels. Especially, they are often vulnerable to damage by salt in seawater. Seawater is more likely to affect reinforcing rods and steel fibers than concrete. Recently the usage of anti-corrosive fibers increases in the tunnel which is subject to the possibility of damage. By comparing the capability of polypropylene fibers with that of steel fibers, the proper mixture ratio is decided and the supporting capability of polypropylene fibers was tested using round panel and beam specimens. The results of this study can be of great use in selecting the fiber material and designing of fiber reinforced shotcrete of submarine tunnels.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.1677-1685
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• 2014

Short discrete fibers compounded with concrete can enhance the tensile resistance and ductility of concrete. Recently, the effectiveness of the reinforcement has increased according to the increasing length of steel fiber. However, the lengthening of steel fiber requires reducing the ratio of the fiber content to remain the workability and quality of concrete. Thus, the present study evaluated the flexural performance of fiber reinforced concrete with less than l.0% fiber volume ratios of steel fiber, 30mm and 60mm long, and polypropylene fiber, being evaluated as a good reinforcing material with chemical stability, long-term durability, and cost effectiveness. Concrete with more than 0.25% steel and 0.5% polypropylene fibers improved the brittle failure of concrete after reaching cracking strength. Concrete reinforced with polypropylene exhibited deflection-softening behavior, but that with more than 0.5% polypropylene delayed stress reduction and recovered flexural strength by 60 to 80% after cracking strength. In conclusion, concrete reinforced with more than 0.75% polypropylene could improve structural flexural performance. In particular, energy absorption capacity of reinforced concrete with 1.0% polypropylene fiber was similar to that with 0.5% and 0.7% steel fibers.