Influence of steel fibers on the static and blast response of beams built with high-strength concrete and high-strength reinforcement

This paper presents the results of a study examining the influence of steel fibers on the static and blast performance of beams built with high-strength concrete (HSC) and high-strength steel reinforcement. As part of the study, a series of fiber-reinforced HSC beams designed with Grade 690 MPa ASTM A1035 reinforcement are tested under static and blast load conditions using a shock-tube. The performance of the beams is compared to that of a control set of specimens built with plain HSC and high-strength bars. In addition to the effects of the steel fibers, the effects of reinforcement type (Grade 690 MPa vs. 400 MPa) and high-strength steel ratio (rho = 1-2.2%) are also investigated. Under static loads the provision of fibers is found to significantly enhance the ductility of the high-strength reinforced concrete beams. Under dynamic conditions, the use of fiber-reinforced HSC leads to important enhancements in blast behavior, including better control of displacements, increased blast capacity and improved damage resistance. As part of the numerical study the blast response of the beams is predicted using 2D finite element (FE) modelling.