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Influence of fibre count on variability in post-crack performance of fibre reinforced concrete

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Abstract

High variability in experimental estimates of post-crack performance for fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) remains a problem that compromises progress toward a comprehensive understanding of this material and reduces the realisable performance of FRC in design. In recent years, the possible influence of many factors on variability in performance has been studied, and as a result, the number of fibres bridging and supporting tension across the crack plane has been recognised as contributing to variability in commonly used flexural performance tests. Unfortunately, no commonly used post-crack performance testing standard for FRC requires the number of fibres that protrude from the surface of crack faces to be counted. This leads to a paucity of data that obscures the significant role this parameter plays in performance variability, particularly when very high levels of performance variability are encountered. The present paper summarises the results of numerous investigations in which direct fibre counting has been conducted as part of FRC assessment, thereby providing a large body of data to facilitate an empirical means of quantifying the influence of fibre count on post-crack performance variability.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Elasto-Plastic Concrete Pty Ltd for their support of this work, and Joshua Tolhurst for performing all the tests.

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  1. TSE Pty. Ltd., PO Box 763, Penrith, NSW, 2750, Australia

    E. S. Bernard & G. G. Xu

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  1. E. S. Bernard
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  2. G. G. Xu
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Correspondence to E. S. Bernard.

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Bernard, E.S., Xu, G.G. Influence of fibre count on variability in post-crack performance of fibre reinforced concrete. Mater Struct 50, 169 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-017-1035-5

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