Numerical and FEA investigation of sectional capacity and moment redistribution behavior of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) beam

Steel fiber reinforced concrete exhibits ductility. This ductility behavior enables redistribution of moment between the negative and positive moment zones in continuous SFRC beams. The sectional capacity of an SFRC continuous beam was determined using the moment-curvature response, the ductility of the member using the moment-rotation response, and the moment redistribution behavior using the moment-rotation response. The theoretical moment-curvature response was calculated from the stress-strain response for 0 % (control), 0.5 %, 0.75 %, and 1.5 % SFRC member which served the basis for the defined moment-rotation behavior and FEA. A five-point bending test was conducted on a two-span beam using a constitutive material model in the FEA software package, Abaqus/CAE. The concrete damage plasticity (CDP) model was used to conduct a displacement-controlled analysis on the fully integrated 3D hexahedral element (C3D8). The numerical study revealed that the flexural behavior, bending capacity, rotation capacity, and ductility of the 0.5 %, 0.75 %, and 1.5 % SFRC beams were significantly enhanced than the 0 % SFRC beam. However, as steel fiber volume increased, the quantity of moment redistribution in the SFRC beam decreased. The amount of moment redistribution obtained was 21.8 % for 0 %, 19 % for 0.5 %, 18.1 % for 0.75 %, and 13.9 % for 1.5 % SFRC.