Development of a Mix Design Adjustment Method For Fiber Reinforced Concrete and Super High Performance Concrete Based on Excess Paste

The main objective of this study was to develop a mix design adjustment method for Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) that would maintain appropriate workability while improving hardened concrete performance. A literature review was conducted to examine existing methods for adjusting mix designs to account for fiber introduction. It was found that while increasing fine aggregate and cement paste content can make up for lost workability with the addition of fibers, no rational mix design adjustment method is available. Reference mix designs from the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nebraska Department of Transportation were used, and this study focused on tailoring the idea of increasing paste and fine aggregate to focus on the parameter of excess paste. Excess paste serves to coat the aggregate particles and is critical for workability. To apply this method of excess paste adjustment, a modified version of ASTM C29 was used to determine the void content of fiber-aggregate skeletons with varying fiber contents. Paste and fine aggregate content were then adjusted to maintain the excess paste quantity between reference mixes and mixes with fiber. A variety of tests including slump, vibrated L-box, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, drying shrinkage, and restrained shrinkage were conducted to evaluate the overall concrete performance. Results indicated that, for each mix design, adjusting based on excess paste provided a workable FRC with improved hardened performance. Eight slabs were then prepared for a large-scale examination of constructability. Throughout the study of FRC, an alternative concrete to Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) that would considerably outperform High-Performance Concrete (HPC) was developed. This study delves into the development of a new type of concrete called Super High Performance Concrete (SHPC). SHPC is a high strength, self-consolidating FRC that would significantly cut back on cost and production limitations compared to UHPC as it can be produced with conventional drum-type mixers. Results indicate that SHPC outperforms HPC in matters of workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, and toughness and could potentially be a viable alternative of UHPC for applications such as bridge deck connections and overlays. Advisor: Jiong H