Assessment of SFRC flat slab punching behaviour – part I: monotonic vertical loading

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the behaviour and load capacity of steel-fibre-reinforced concrete (SFRC) flat slabs under monotonically increased concentrated vertical loads. The SFRC was used only in the local region of the slab–column connection, as the rest of the slab was cast using normal concrete without fibres. The six experimental test specimens had a thickness of 150 mm with different longitudinal reinforcement ratios, using a non-uniform distribution over the slab width. The concretes used were made with different Dramix 4D 65/60 BG steel fibre contents (0, 0·5, 0·75 and 1·0% volume content). The slab tests were complemented by flexural tests on notched beams. This made it possible to determine the tension behaviour of the different concretes used, through a linear post-cracking behaviour and inverse analysis. The inverse analysis made it possible to define the stress–crack opening relationship that characterises the tension behaviour of SFRC and to relate it to the observed behaviour and load capacity of the tested slabs. The tests results show that the tensile behaviour of the SFRC plays an important role in the behavioural and load capacity of the slabs and that it can be considered relevant to physically based models.