The Flexural Behavior and Mechanical Properties of Super High-Performance Concrete (SHPC) Reinforced Using the Hybridization of Micro Polypropylene and Macro Steel Fibers

Abstract

There is a need to investigate the flexural behavior and mechanical properties of super high-performance concrete (SHPC) for a better understanding of its response to compression, tension, and bending. Super-high-performance concrete (SHPC) lies between high-performance concrete (HPC) and ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) in strength, durability, and workability and is suitable for sustainable buildings. This paper presents an extensive experimental and analytical study to investigate the effect of the hybridization of micro-polypropylene and macro-steel fibers on the flexural behavior and mechanical properties of super-high-performance concrete (SHPC). The hybridization of both micro-PP fibers and macro-hooked-end ST fibers gathers the benefits of their advantages and offsets their disadvantages. Three types of fibers (micro polypropylene fibers (PP), macro hooked-end steel fiber (ST), and hybrid fiber (PP + ST)) with different fiber content up to 2% were tested to study their effect on the following: (a) the workability of fresh concrete, (b) concrete compressive strength, (c) splitting tensile strength, (d) flexural behavior, including flexural tensile strength and toughness, and (e) the optimum percentage of each of the two fibers, PP and ST, in the hybrid to get the maximum structural and economic benefits of hybridization. Based upon the experimental results and using a statistical program, formulae to calculate both the tensile splitting strength (fsp) and the flexural tensile strength in the form of the modulus of rupture (fctr) were obtained. These formulae were able to predict accurately both the splitting tensile strength and modulus of rupture for SHPC with each of the three types of fibers used in this research. Also, they were in very good agreement with the values corresponding to different experimental results of other research, which means the ability to use these equations more generally. In addition, the prediction of the additional ultimate moment provided for all fibers was investigated. This research confirms the structural and the economical efficiency of hybridization in the behavior of SHPC. It was found that the optimum percentage of the fiber volume content for the hybrid of ST and PP is 1%; 0.5% for each of the two kinds.