The influence of straight steel fibers on the fresh and mechanical properties of Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC)

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of steel fiber and UHPC constituents on the fresh and mechanical properties. With the help of a systematic review and experimental program, the study shows that an increase in fiber content leads to decrease in flowability. With the usage of particle packing theory and preliminary laboratory tests, a recipe was created, and based on this recipe, 7 mixtures were developed. In terms of mechanical properties, mixture 3 with a steel fiber concentration of 1% had the highest compressive strength among the five total mixtures. However, when it came to flexural strength, the same mixture 3 had the lowest value of all five mixes, whereas mixture 5 had the greatest.