Shear Behavior of Ultrahigh Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Beams. I: Experimental Investigation

To quantify the safety margin of shear design provisions for ultrahigh performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC), an experimental campaign has been performed. In a four-point bending configuration, shear tests have been conducted on 11 3-m long and 0.38-m high I-shaped girders with varied types of shear reinforcement (stirrups and/or fibers, or neither), combined with longitudinal prestressing or mild steel reinforcing bars. These shear tests have been analyzed in conjunction with a complete materials characterization. To identify the contribution of the fibers to the shear response, prisms have been extracted horizontally, vertically, at 30 and 45 degrees in both undamaged ends of the beams to determine the effective orientation factor. Through this unique combination of data, detailed in the writers' paper, design provisions and models have been developed, as detailed in a companion paper. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.