Development and application of fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete

BARRAGÁN, B.; ZERBINO, R.; GETTU, R.; DE LA CRUZ, C.; BRAVO, M.

Dundee, Scotland

Congreso; 6th International Congress Global Construction: Ultimate Concrete Opportunities; 2005

UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE

The elimination of vibration for the compaction of concrete during placing through the use of self-compacting concrete leads to substantial advantages related to better homogeneity and hence, quality of the construction, enhancement of the working environment and improvement in the productivity by increasing the rate of construction. The benefits could be even more significant, in appropriate applications, if conventional steel reinforcement in the form of bars is replaced by the incorporation of short randomly-distributed steel fibers. Along these lines, the present paper deals with the development and application of steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete. The mix design follows a simple methodology previously applied to high-strength self-compacting concrete, based on optimizing separately the paste and the granular skeleton. Self-compactability is characterized through the slump flow, V-funnel, L-box, U-box and J-ring tests. The results are promising, showing that the self-compactability can be obtained even with the incorporation of 40 kg/m3 of steel fibers. Furthermore, the steel fiber reinforced self compacting concrete achieved was successfully applied in the construction of slender walls.