FRACTURE MECHANICS OF FIBER REINFORCED CONCRETE AND THE DURABILITY OF FIBER REINFORCED AND AIR-ENTRAINED CONCRETE EXPOSED TO FREEZE-THAW CYCLES (FATIGUE)

This thesis presents the experimental and analytical investigation of fiber (steel and Kevlar) reinforced concrete (FRC) to determine its fracture mechanic properties especially the J-integral. The freeze-thaw durability of fiber reinforced and air-entrained concrete is also investigated. The fiber reinforced concretes were found to have a much greater flexural strength and toughness compared to plain concrete. The compressive strength was found to decrease with the addition of fibers and air-entrainment. In all cases the addition of 1.0% or more fibers prevented catastrophic failures. The mixing and setting of FRC requires a rigorous procedure which must be followed to achieve a homogeneous matrix.