EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF DEFORMABILITY AND FRACTURE RESISTANCE OF AIRFIELD SLABS ON MODELS

The results of experimental studies of deformability and crack resistance of models of aerodrome slabs made of reinforced concrete and steel-fiber concrete, made on the basis of serial slab PAG-18 taking into account the scale factor, are presented. Two series of slabs were tested - two models of reinforced concrete and two models with one-percent dispersed reinforcement. The load was applied in steps, the instrument readings were recorded twice at each step and the crack opening width was measured starting from the moment of the first crack formation. Dial gauges, deflectometer and microscope MPB-3 were used as measuring instruments. In accordance with the normative documents acting in Ukraine, one of two possible loading schemes was considered - with the loading by the concentrated force applied in the span part of a plate which had a hinged support along its short sides. Plate models were tested on a specially made stand. Each load step ended with a five-minute dwell time, at the beginning and the end of which readings were taken on the measuring instruments. The deformations at the same levels were measured with dial gauges. The process of crack formation was observed with a Brinell tube in the places of the greatest crack opening. Breaking load for fiber concrete slab was 1.52 times higher than for reinforced concrete slab, and the moment of cracking initiation was 1.22 times higher. The process of cracking in the fiber concrete slab begins at higher loads than in the reinforced concrete slab. The initial crack opening width of the slabs is almost the same, and the final crack opening width of all the cracks in the fiber concrete slab is significantly lower than in the reinforced concrete slab. The deformations in steel-fiber concrete slabs when the load is applied in the span, both for compressed and stretched fibers, are higher than in reinforced concrete slabs. The experimental studies indicate that dispersed reinforcement of airfield slabs with steel fiber leads to their higher crack resistance.

DEFORMABILITY AND CRACK RESISTANCE OF AIRFIELD SLABS

The results of experimental studies of deformability and crack resistance of models of airfield slabs made of reinforced concrete and steel fiber concrete are presented. Two series of plates were tested ‒ three models of reinforced concrete and three models with steel fiber added to the concrete mixture in amount of 1% of the total volume of the product. The load was applied in small steps, the instrument readings were recorded twice at each step, and the crack opening width was measured starting from the moment of the first crack formation. Dial gauges and deflectometers were used as measuring instruments. According to the normative documents acting in Ukraine, one of two possible loading schemes was considered ‒ with the loading by the concentrated force applied on the cantilever part of a plate. The plate models were tested on a specially made stand which consisted of four supporting struts connected in pairs by beams. The airfield slab was supported by the beams. The load was applied along the width of the plate in steps ‒ 0.05 of the destructive load, along two concentrated vertical strips. Each degree of load ended with a five-minute dwell time, at the beginning and end of which readings were taken on the measuring instruments. The deformations at the same levels were measured with dial gauges. The process of crack formation was observed with a Brinell tube in the places of the greatest crack opening. It follows from the obtained results that the process of cracking in the fiber concrete slab begins at higher loads than in the reinforced concrete slab. The final and initial crack opening widths of all cracks in the fiber concrete slab are significantly lower than in the reinforced concrete slab. The deformations in steel-fiber concrete slabs during the application of load in the cantilever part, both for compressed and stretched fibers are higher than in reinforced concrete slabs. At the initial stages of load application in the cantilevered part of the slabs, the deflections increase in a linear relationship. The curves get non-linear character for airfield slabs made of reinforced concrete when the load reaches the level of 10÷25 kN, for steel-fiber-concrete slabs ‒ 15÷30 kN. In reinforced concrete slabs, the non-linearity starts a little earlier and is expressed more clearly. Experimental studies show that dispersed reinforcement of airfield slabs with steel fiber leads to their higher crack resistance.

Numerical simulation of electric heating of dispersed-reinforced concrete with steel fibers

Solution to the problem of current density distribution in a fragment of a steel fiber concrete mixture is obtained, using the finite element method. It is shown that the fiber-concrete contact layer makes a significant contribution to the effective electrical conductivity of the mixture. More than 50% of the total current flows through the reinforcing fibers. The conductivity of the mixture increases in proportion to the reinforcement coefficient. It increases 2-3 times, depending on the choice of the contact properties, reinforcing 2% by volume layer. Experimental data that confirm the indicated dependence are presented. Also, a solution to the problem of heat distribution in a fragment of steel-fiber-concrete mixture in stationary and non-stationary modes of external heating and electrode heating was obtained. It is shown that the effective thermal conductivity coefficient increases in proportion to the reinforcement coefficient. A significant effect of the contact layer parameters on thermal conductivity is shown, comparison with experimental data. Significant heat release in the area of contact zone and in fiber leads to a temperature rise in these zones by 20-30 degrees in a stationary mode. The temperature distribution in fiber-reinforced concrete during induction heating is considered. In this case, it is necessary to significantly increase the frequency of the current used. The study results can be used, prescribing electric heating modes for products made of dispersion-reinforced concrete.

Cracking behavior and energy consumption of Steel Fiber Concrete Encased Steel beams

Steel Fiber Concrete Encased Steel (SFCES) beams were subjected to bending to investigate the effect of steel fibers on the behavior of Steel Reinforced Concrete beams with or without steel reinforcement. 18 SFCES beams reinforced with steel fibers, steel reinforcement, or both were cast. The parameters considered in the experiment were (a) the volume percentage of steel fiber (0%, 1%, and 2%), (b) the shear span to depth ratio( s/d = 2.5 and 3.5), (c) the stirrups spacing (180 mm and 360 mm), and (d) the presence or absence of longitudinal reinforcement (2Φ8+2Φ10).The cracking load, crack development, energy dissipation capacity, and ductility of the specimens were investigated. The results illustrate that the cracking load F c, the total energy consumption, and the energy ductility increase with increasing steel fiber volume, and the average improvement with a steel fiber volume increase of 1% can reach 36.5%, 21.2%, and 28.67%, respectively. However, this strengthening effect of steel fibers was weakened due to the addition of steel reinforcement. The influence of the steel fiber volume and reinforcement configuration on each stage of energy consumption was mainly concentrated in the elastic ( E 1) and failure stages ( E 3). Finally, mathematical equations were proposed to predict the cracking load and crack width of the SFCES specimens, which were verified by comparing the predictions with the experiment results.