Exploring Shear Strength of Concrete: A Novel Z-Test for Direct Shear Testing of Plain and Fiber Reinforced Concrete

Abstract

Abstract With the advent of new concrete materials and advances in structural design, the shear strength of concrete has become increasingly significant. However, the lack of a standardized shear characterization process impedes full utilization of the inherent shear strength of these novel concrete mixes. This paper aims to address this by introducing a novel direct shear test for plain concrete (PC) and fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) that uses standardized samples and loading method. The shear behavior of PC and FRC samples was thoroughly captured using the test. Furthermore, the study observed the effect of fibers on the shear strength and found it to be primarily dependent on the fiber dosage, with samples with higher dosages exhibiting greater shear strength. Additionally, residual strength was found to depend on both the fiber dosage and type, with longer fibers exhibiting slightly better performance and higher ductility. The paper also introduces a validated numerical model to describe the pre-peak behavior of the samples. The combination of experimental and model results provides a quantitative tool to describe the shear behavior of concrete samples and investigate the effect of different parameters on shear strength. In general, this study contributes to the advancement of shear strength characterization in concrete and provides valuable information on the behavior of plain and fiber-reinforced concrete under shear loading, potentially facilitating the direct use of concrete shear strength in the design and construction of new concrete structures.