Investigating the structural behaviour of Hybrid Fibre Reinforced Concrete (HFRC) plates

Failure of reinforced concrete plates is caused by the decrease in its stiffness as a result of cracking. This leads to corrosion of the steel reinforcement. Conventional concrete mixtures may not be sufficient to provide the tensile resistance required to minimize cracking. Using fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) can be considered a practical and economical solution to increase concrete tensile strength, and to protect the steel reinforcement against corrosion in harsh environments. Both steel and synthetic fibres are now used together to enhance concrete toughness with minimal impact on concrete workability and constructability; this is referred to as hybrid fibre reinforced concrete (HFRC).

The proposed research project includes the assessment of existing research data available in the literature to evaluate the effects of hybrid fibres on the behaviour of concrete members. The proposed project involves development of the HFRC mixture and testing of eight HFRC plates to evaluate the effects of the hybrid fibres on the ultimate load capacity and crack propagation in HFRC plates.

The capacity of the tested HFRC concrete plates will be measured and compared to identical samples cast with normal concrete. This will enable quantification of the effects of fibres on the behaviour and capacity of the plates.

This research project was undertaken and completed with a grant from and the financial assistance of Petroleum Research Newfoundland & Labrador.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Amgad Hussein

Student:

Ramin Pourreza

Partner:

Concrete Products Limited

Discipline:

Engineering - other

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University: