Upgrading the push-off test to analyze the contribution of steel fiber on shear transfer mechanisms

Abstract

The shear behavior of a specimen made of reinforced concrete is complex. The resisting mechanisms are affected by different factors such as section form, slimness of the specimen, longitudinal and transversal reinforcement arrangement, adhesion between concrete and steel, among others. Addition of steel fibers to the concrete improves the ductility as well as the tensile behavior; providing good control during the cracking process. Fibers also enhance the shear behavior of structural elements, increasing ultimate resistance and ductility.

Push-off tests had been used to study the mechanisms of concrete shear transfer. Shear strength of the specimen depends on the contribution of both concrete and reinforcement. Aggregate interlock has a significant contribution to the concrete shear capacity. In the last decades new kinds of concrete have been developed for industrial use, such as high strength concrete (HSC), self-compacting concrete (SCC) or fiber reinforced concrete (FRC), among others. In these new materials aggregate interlock phenomenon may be different when compared to conventional concrete (CC). There is a lack of information in literature about the mechanisms of shear transfer in fiber reinforced concrete elements.