Abstract
This paper details and discusses the results of an experimental campaign into the uniaxial tensile creep behavior of a polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete (PFRC). In total, 16 FRC prisms are cast and tested according to the European Standard EN 14651. Cylindrical cores, taken from the prisms, are notched and are then used to identify the uniaxial tensile behavior of the FRC. The notched cores are also precracked and subjected to creep loading to study the time-dependent crack width growth at two different load ratios, 30 and 45% of the residual capacity. The results show that the load ratio has an important influence on the long-term tensile behavior of cracked FRC. For the samples subjected to 45%, the crack width exceeds the precrack width within hours, while the average crack width for the 30% samples remained below the initial crack width after 180 days under load. Based on the creep rate and crack width recovery upon unloading, it is shown that the 45% loaded samples exhibited plastic deformations, attributed to the onset of plasticity in the fibers. Furthermore, in terms of structural design, it is found that the residual post-creep capacity of the 30% samples was similar to that of undamaged cores, but significant differences were found for the higher loaded samples. For these samples, the average tensile capacity of the post-creep cores is 40% lower than that of the undamaged specimens. A comparison with steel FRC yielded that the time-dependent crack widening is similar, contrary to results in literature.
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Funding
This study was funded by the Agency of Innovation and Technology (IWT) in Flanders, Belgium (Grant Number 141463).
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Vrijdaghs, R., di Prisco, M. & Vandewalle, L. Uniaxial tensile creep of a cracked polypropylene fiber reinforced concrete. Mater Struct 51, 5 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-017-1132-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-017-1132-5