Influence of Steel Fiber on Compressive Strength and Crack Pattern of Recycled Aggregate Concrete
Keywords:
Compressive strength, Crack pattern, Recycled aggregate, Steel fiber, WorkabilityAbstract
The use of recycled aggregates rather than new aggregates is suggested by the depletion of natural resources and the demolition of trash. Compared to natural aggregate, recycled aggregate gives concrete less strength. Concrete can be strengthened by adding fiber, such as steel fibers, at a low volumetric proportion. This study aims to determine the concrete’s compressive strength by adding steel fiber (30 mm in length) to volume fractions of 0.45%, 0.9%, 1.35%, and 1.80% of the concrete. Coarse aggregates specially recycled stone were obtained from demolished concrete structures and laboratory waste. Based on the mix design, a concrete strength of 30 MPa and a water-to-cement ratio of 0.46 were selected. This type of concrete was anticipated to be utilized for structural beams. To make sure the designed concrete was workable, the slump test was conducted. After seven and twenty-eight days, the concrete cubes’ compressive strength was finally measured. With steel fiber utilized at the ideal proportion of 1.35% of the volume of concrete, the results demonstrated that the concrete achieved the required strength and slightly improved compressive strength. In conclusion, steel fiber combined with recycled stone in the right proportion could be a sustainable substitute for RCC structures.
References
L. Butler, J. S. West, and S. L. Tighe, “The effect of recycled concrete aggregate properties on the bond strength between RCA concrete and steel reinforcement,” Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 41, no. 10, pp. 1037–1049, Oct. 2011, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2011.06.004
R. S. Olivito and F. A. Zuccarello, “An experimental study on the tensile strength of steel fiber reinforced concrete,” Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 246–255, Apr. 2010, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2009.12.003
I. U. Khan, A. Gul, K. Khan, S. Akbar, and Irfanullah, “Mechanical Properties of Steel-Fiber-Reinforced Concrete,” ICEC 2022, Sep. 2022, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/engproc2022022006
W. Abbass, M. I. Khan, and S. Mourad, “Evaluation of mechanical properties of steel fiber reinforced concrete with different strengths of concrete,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 168, pp. 556–569, Apr. 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.02.164
S.-J. Jang and H.-D. Yun, “Combined effects of steel fiber and coarse aggregate size on the compressive and flexural toughness of high-strength concrete,” Composite Structures, vol. 185, pp. 203–211, Feb. 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2017.11.009
M. R. Chowdhury and M. E. Kabir, “Applicability of Steel Fiber and Recycled Stone in Compressive Strength Development of M30 Concrete,” International Conference on Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering, 12 - 14 October 2023, Oct. 2023. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375230145_Applicability_of_Steel_Fiber_and_Recycled_Stone_in_Compressive_Strength_Development_of_M30_Concrete
V. W. Y. Tam, C. M. Tam, and K. N. Le, “Removal of cement mortar remains from recycled aggregate using pre-soaking approaches,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 82–101, Mar. 2007, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2006.05.012
ASTM International, “Specification for Steel Fibers for Fiber-Reinforced Concrete,” ASTM A820/A820M-16, 2016. doi: https://doi.org/10.1520/a0820_a0820m-16
A. Al Ghabban, A. B. Al Zubaidi, M. Jafar, and Z. Fakhri, “Effect of Nano SiO2 and Nano CaCO3 on The Mechanical Properties, Durability and flowability of Concrete,” IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 454, p. 012016, Dec. 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/454/1/012016
F. U. A. Shaikh and S. W. M. Supit, “Mechanical and durability properties of high volume fly ash (HVFA) concrete containing calcium carbonate (CaCO3) nanoparticles,” Construction and Building Materials, vol. 70, pp. 309–321, Nov. 2014, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.07.099
C09 Committee, “Standard Test Method for Slump of Hydraulic-Cement Concrete,” ASTM International, Available: https://store.astm.org/c0143_c0143m-20.html
M. R. Chowdhury and D. Mondal, “Flexural Behavior of Recycled Aggregate Concrete Beam with Varying Dosage of Steel Fiber,” Journal of Engineering Research and Reports, vol. 26, no. 12, pp. 141–152, Dec. 2024, doi: https://doi.org/10.9734/jerr/2024/v26i121347
“ACI PRC-544.3-08: Guide for Specifying, Proportioning, and Production of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete,” Concrete.org, 2025. https://www.concrete.org/store/productdetail.aspx?ItemID=544308&Format=DOWNLOAD&Language=English&Units=US_AND_METRIC
S. Das, Habibur Rahman Sobuz, Vivian W.Y. Tam, M. Akid, Norsuzailina Mohamed Sutan, and M. Rahman, “Effects of incorporating hybrid fibres on rheological and mechanical properties of fibre reinforced concrete,” vol. 262, pp. 120561–120561, Nov. 2020, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120561
S.-E. Fang, H.-S. Hong, and P.-H. Zhang, “Mechanical Property Tests and Strength Formulas of Basalt Fiber Reinforced Recycled Aggregate Concrete,” Materials, vol. 11, no. 10, p. 1851, Sep. 2018, doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11101851
