The simulation of damage and failure in short fiber reinforced composites like high performance hybrid-fiber reinforced cement composites is still a challenging task, due to the richness of failure mechanisms introduced by fibers on the mesoscale of the material. Randomly oriented, hooked steel fibers, like the Baekaert Dramix® fibers, sustainable modify the macroscopic failure behavior of the ...

Non-destructive analysis of fiber dispersion in structural elements made of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) and Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites (FRCCs) plays a significant role in the framework of quality control and performance prediction. In this paper, the research activity of the authors in the aforementioned field all over the last lustrum will be reviewed. A method based on the m...

Concrete is a brittle material due to its poor tensile strength; consequently, concrete tends crack or peel under an applied external load. Previous studies have investigated the effect of incorporating fiber into concrete, which can improve strength. In this study, static and dynamic mechanical characteristics three types fiber-reinforced (FRC) were examined: carbon-fiber-reinforced (CFRC); Ke...

The use of Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) reinforcement is a practical alternative to conventional steel rebars in concrete structures subjected to aggressive environments. The solution is attractive for bridge deck and rail applications, as it eliminates corrosion of the steel reinforcement, which is the major instrument of degradation. Due to the peculiar physical and mechanical characteristi...

This study examines the in-situ shear performance and modes of failure of reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams (joists) strengthened with externally bonded carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets. The experimental program consisted of testing a series of nine structural components at the Malcom Bliss Hospital, in St.Louis, Missouri. The members were tested to validate the different systems an...

In moment resisting reinforced concrete framed buildings, corner joints are found at the roof level. These joints, if designed for gravity loads and are based on pre-seismic codes, may suffer substantial damage during earthquakes particularly under opening cycles, i.e. those causing flexural tension on the inside of the joint. Several techniques of repair and strengthening of reinforced concret...

The purpose of this research was to experimentally characterize the flexural and tensile characteristics of fiber-reinforced Very High-Strength Concrete (VHSC) panels. The panels were made with a unique mix of cementitous materials achieving compressive strength of 26,000 psi (180 MPa) or greater. VHSC panels were reinforced with polypropylene fibers of 1 inch (25.4 mm) in length and Polyvinyl ...

Tests of deep concrete beams with internal fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement have shown that such members can exhibit lower shear strength than members with conventional steel reinforcement. To model this effect, the current paper proposes an approach based on a two-parameter kinematic theory (2PKT) for conventional deep beams. The 2PKT is built on a kinematic model with two degrees ...

Externally bonded carbon-epoxy fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) have been widely used to restore or increase the capacities of reinforced concrete beams (Meier et al., 1992; Neale and Labossière, 1997; Varastehpour and Hamelin, 1997). A typical reinforced concrete bridge deck may experience up to 7x10 stress cycles during the course of a 120year life span (Barnes and Mays, 1999), while an over...