Evaluation of impact behavior of Fiber Reinforced Concrete

Abstract

Impact resistance is an outstanding characteristic of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC). To evaluate this property many methods have been designed. The most widespread test has been the one proposed by ACI Committee 544. This test has stood out due its speed and simplicity, nevertheless, high dispersion in its results has made it unreliable. Recently, the authors have designed a new method based on the application of Growing Impact Loads (GIL). It is simple, economic and allows for the evaluation of FRC impact behavior at cracking and after cracking, with most of the resulting parameters expressed in terms of energy. In this paper, results obtained by both methods are compared. Two FRC materials were evaluated, the first, incorporating 30 kg/m3 of steel fiber and the second 5 kg/m3 of a polymeric fiber. Results showed that the parameters from the GIL method were less variable (up to about 44%) and had acceptable coefficients of variation (<30%).