Behaviour of reactive powder concrete under direct tension and flexure

Abstract

Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC) is a high strength new generation concrete, formed from a special combination of constituent materials. The composition of RPC includes cement (Ordinary Portland cement) fine sand, mineral and chemical admixtures with high strength micro steel fibres. The evaluation of the tensile stress-strain characteristics is of considerable interest in the analysis of RPC structural applications. The present study focuses on the behavior of RPC under direct tension and flexural tension. The study also focuses on the effect of various dosages and aspect ratio of fibers. Among the several RPC mixes evaluated, the RPC mix with a combination of 13mm and 6mm length fibers showed the highest tensile strength under direct tension. The specimens with mixed fiber ratio (13mm+6mm) exhibited both tension stiffening and tension softening. Residual flexural tensile strength, fracture energy and toughness indices of different types of RPC beams also evaluated. The results reveal that the RPC has enhanced tensile properties and the ductility increases with respect to the addition of fibres.