Shear strength of steel fiber-reinforced concrete beams

ABSTRACT. This study analyzed the mechanical behavior of shear strength of steel fiber-reinforced concrete beams. Six beams subjected to shear loading were tested until failure. Additionally, prisms were tested to evaluate fiber contribution to the concrete shear strength. Steel fibers were straight, hook-ended, 35 mm long and aspect ratio equal to 65. Volumetric fractions used were 1.0 and 2.0%. The results demonstrated a great contribution from steel fibers to shear strength of reinforced concrete beams and to reduce crack width, which can reduce the amount of stirrups in reinforced concrete structures. Beam capacity was also evaluated by empirical equations, and it was found that these equations provided a high variability, while some of them have not properly predicted the ultimate shear strength of the steel fiber-reinforced concrete beams