STEEL FIBER CURVATURE IN CONCRETE COMPOSITES: MODULUS PREDICTIONS USING EFFECTIVE STEEL FIBER PROPERTIES

Results in the literature demonstrate that substantial improvements in the mechanical behavior of concrete have been attained through the addition of steel fibers as a reinforcing phase. We have developed a model combining finite element results and micromechanical methods to determine the effective reinforcing modu-lus of hook-ended steel fibers. This effective reinforcing modulus is then used within a multiphase micro-mechanics model to predict the effective modulus of concrete reinforced with a distribution of fibers. We found that fiber curvature effect is negligible when compared to straight fibers. Then mechanical properties of concrete reinforced with crimped steel fibers are predicted using Weng and Huang schemes. The predic-tions are in excellent agreement with experimental results.