Author:
Mena-Alonso Álvaro,C. González Dorys,Mínguez Jesús,A. Vicente Miguel
Abstract
Steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) is a composite material, consisting of conventional concrete with the addition of short, randomly distributed steel fibers. Fibers modify the mechanical behavior of concrete, improving some of its properties: they increase its ductility, enhance its residual tensile strength, and under certain conditions, increase its ultimate flexural strength. All these advantages make this material competitive with conventional reinforced concrete. However, the psychological barriers of the construction sector and the technical challenges that remain to be solved are slowing down the consolidation of this building material. One of these challenges is the improvement of the understanding of fatigue, which not only affects SFRC, but concrete in general. In this regard, work to date suggests that fibers, given certain circumstances, increase the fatigue life of concrete. This would result in SFRC being very effective in structures where fatigue is a critical action, such as wind turbine concrete towers.