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Fiber distribution and orientation in UHP-FRC beams and their effect on backward analysis

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Abstract

In this study 23 ultra-high performance fiber reinforced concrete (UHP-FRC) notched beams were tested in order to investigate the effect of fiber orientation and distribution on the bending behavior. Due to the small fiber diameter and high fiber volume fraction used in UHP-FRC, the number of fibers crossing a 150 × 150 mm (6 × 6 in.) beam section can be as high as 26,000. An opto-analytical method was used to investigate the number and orientation of the fibers near the critical crack in each test beam. For the casting method used, which was in accordance with the recommendation of Association Francaise de Genie Civil (AFGC) and Service d’etudes techniques des routes et autoroutes (SETRA), a high degree of uniformity in fiber distribution and orientation was found over the beam cross section. Based on the analytically determined fiber orientation and distribution, shape functions were derived that take into account variations over the beam height. The proposed shape functions were incorporated in a backward analysis of the results from bending tests to estimate the uniaxial tensile behavior of the UHP-FRC used. The sensitivity of the backwardly calculated tensile behavior of UHP-FRC to variations in fiber density and orientation was evaluated. Based on the bending test results of the notched beam specimens, and for the casting method used in this research, the influence of these variations on the backwardly calculated tensile strength was found to be small, with a maximum stress variation of ~5 % for any given crack width.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a fellowship within the Postdoc-Programme of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut, 261 Glenbrook Road, Storrs, CT, 06269-2037, USA

    Kay Wille

  2. Institute of Structural Concrete, Graz University of Technology, Lessingstraße 25, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Nguyen Viet Tue

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2205 Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Gustavo J. Parra-Montesinos

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  1. Kay Wille
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Correspondence to Kay Wille.

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Wille, K., Tue, N.V. & Parra-Montesinos, G.J. Fiber distribution and orientation in UHP-FRC beams and their effect on backward analysis. Mater Struct 47, 1825–1838 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-013-0153-y

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