Steel fibres improve the mechanical characteristics of high-strength concrete: their use in pre- cast thin-web elements can be regarded interesting in terms of simplicity and economy only if alternative to traditional transversal reinforcement. The research investifates shear resistance of steel…
Steel fibres improve the mechanical characteristics of high-strength concrete: their use in pre- cast thin-web elements can be regarded interesting in terms of simplicity and economy only if alternative to traditional transversal reinforcement. The research investifates shear resistance of steel fibres testing one I beam and 6 TT members. The fibre amount was 50 kg/m : this content can still be regarded as competitive and guarantees appreciable residual stress in uniaxial tension. Three design solutions were compared: welded wire fabric, steel fibres and plain concrete. Changing the position of the simple support, the contribution of the member-ends reinforced by steel stirrups was estimated. Fibres increase the cracking shear load and as- sure a quite ductile behaviour to shear collapse, although they are not as effective as stirrups are. Some equa- tions proposed in the literature are used to predict the experimental results. A F.E. modelling is also attempted to reproduce the tests in a reduced-scale.