Experimental Study of Interface Shear Transfer of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Members

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the shear friction strength mechanism of monolithically and separately cast concrete members using steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC). To achieve this, a total of 30 push-off tests were conducted with variables such as volume fraction of steel fiber, clamping force of shear-friction reinforcement, and concrete compressive strength. The experimental results showed that the inclusion of steel fibers significantly increased the shear friction strength of monolithically cast concrete. Similarly, the strength improvement in the separately cast specimens was notable with the addition of steel fibers. Notably, as the steel fiber content increased, the concrete contribution also improved, which was attributed to the enhancement of dowel action by the shear-friction reinforcement and the increased tensile strength of the concrete. When comparing the experimental results with current design standards, Eurocode2 provided the most accurate predictions, suggesting that the tensile strength of concrete increased by steel fibers can lead to more precise predictions of shear friction strength.