Rheology, fresh and hardened properties of self-consolidating concrete utilizing metal and PVA polymer fibers

Fiber reinforced self-consolidating concrete (FRSCC) has a tremendous potential to be used in construction industry as it combines the advantagees of both self-consolidating concrete (SCC) and fiber reinforced concrete (FRC). 18 concrete mixtures were developed by incorporating differenct volumes (0 to 0.3) of polyvinyl alchohol (PVA) and metallic fibers. Fresh, rheological, mechanical and durability (in terms of chloride penetration resistance) properties of all FRSCC mixtures were evaluated. The influences of fiber types/size/ dosages and fiber combination (used in hybrid mixes) on fresh (slump flow, L-box passing ability, V-funnel flow time and segregation index), rheological (plastic viscosity and yield stress) and hardened (fracture energy and compressive/flexural/splitting tensile strength) properties were critically analyzed to examine the relationships among various properties as well as to suggest suitable FRSCC mixtures. The fibers (especially metallic ones) wre more effective in increasing the fracture energy of FRSCC than compressive/splitting tensile/flexural strength. A fracture energy gain of about 730% was observed (which is substantial) compared to 10% of compressive strength, 39% of splitting tensil strength and 124% of flexural strength. The improved strength and fracture energy of FRSCC mixtures can significantly reduce the amount of tensile reinforcement and subsantially increase the energy absorbing capacity of concrete structures.