Non-linear Finite Element Analysis of Steel Fibre Reinforced Beams with Conventional Reinforcement

Paper in proceeding, 2012

The purpose of this study has been to investigate the behavior of elements reinforced with both conventional steel reinforcement and steel fibres in order to support future applications of such composites. Three beams of varying fibre content were tested in four-point bending. The results were then compared with results from nonlinear FE-analyses and the calculation method suggested in fib Model Code 2010. The beams were a part of a larger experimental programme where relevant properties were investigated in uniaxial tension tests and pull-out tests. The FE-modeling was performed using a two dimensional plane stress model. General agreement between experiments and the FE-analyses was obtained with regard to load-displacement behavior. The crack patterns from the FE-analysis and experiments agreed in general, although the crack patterns in the analysis were more distributed close to the reinforcement. Crack localization was enhanced by modifying the bond-slip behavior to include the bond loss at yielding. Calculations in accordance with fib Model Code 2010 yield conservative results in comparison with both experiments and FE-analysis.