Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271

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Case Studies in Construction Materials

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Case study

Case investigation on application of steel fibers in roller

compacted concrete pavement in Thailand
Piti Sukontasukkula,*, Udomvit Chaisakulkietb , Pitthaya Jamsawangc,
Suksun Horpibulsukd, Chai Jaturapitakkule, Prinya Chindaprasirtf
a
Construction and Building Materials Research Center, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University
of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand
b
Department of Civil Engineering, Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
c
Soil Engineering Research Center, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North
Bangkok, Thailand
d
School of Civil Engineering and Center of Excellence in Innovation for Sustainable Infrastructure Development, Suranaree University of
Technology, Thailand
e
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thung Khru, Bangkok 10140,
Thailand
f
Sustainable Infrastructure Research and Development Center, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen
University and Academy of Science, The Royal Society of Thailand, Thailand

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Article history: This case study aims to investigate the improvement in mechanical behavior of roller
Received 22 May 2019 compacted concrete pavement (RCCP) mixed with steel fibers. Hooked end type steel fibers
Received in revised form 1 July 2019 were used at 0.5 and 1.0% by volume fractions. The modified Proctor test was adopted in the
Accepted 19 July 2019
mix proportional process to determine the optimum moisture content for each type of
RCCP. The Vebe consistency test was used to determine their consistencies under surcharge
Keywords: load. The experimental series consisted of compression and flexural performance tests to
RCCP
investigate the development of compressive strength, strain energy density, flexural
Fiber reinforced RCCP
Compressive strength
strength, flexural toughness, and residual strength at different concrete ages. Tests were
Flexural performance carried out at 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. Results showed that the water requirement and density
Flexural toughness of fiber reinforced roller compacted concrete pavement (FRRCCP) were slightly higher than
Residual strength those of RCCP. The compressive strength was found to decrease by 1–2% with an increase in
fiber content. However, flexural strength, toughness, and residual strength improved
significantly with the addition of steel fibers. All mechanical properties were found to
increase with age.
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

1. Introduction

In 2018, Thailand’s road network has approximately 470,000 km in length [1]. Generally, there are two types of road
pavements in Thailand: flexible (asphaltic materials) and rigid (reinforced concrete) pavements. Both must be laid on
stable soil foundations, which may sometimes require chemical stabilization. This process is meant to improve the
mechanical properties of problematic soil foundations prior to road construction [2,3] due to the rapid strength gain.

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: piti.kmutnb@gmail.com, piti.s@kmutnb.ac.th, piti@kmutnb.ac.th (P. Sukontasukkul).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscm.2019.e00271
2214-5095/© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
2 P. Sukontasukkul et al. / Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271

The asphaltic pavement is considered a fast and cost-effective method, but it is not as durable as concrete pavement.
Concrete pavement, though more durable, is more expensive and time consuming. The Department of Highways (DoH) has
been looking for an alternative solution to construct concrete roads at a faster rate, and roller compacted pavement (RCCP)
is perhaps one of the solutions. In 2006, the DoH launched the first trial RCCP road section of about 135 m on Highway no.
33 [4]. Their study showed that RCCP can reduce construction time significantly from 14 to 2 days. The density of RCCP was
observed at 2100 kg/m3 with an average elastic modulus of about 41 GPa and average Load Transfer Efficiency (LTE) higher
than 80%.
Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) was a type of concrete invented around 1980. It introduced a new technique
in concrete dam construction, where concrete was placed with conventional paving equipment then compacted
with rollers. In order to support the compaction force from vibrating rollers, RCC needed to have a consistency that
was dry enough to support such forces. Despite originally being used for dam construction, RCC has found its way to
surface pavement applications. The first RCC pavement (RCCP) was constructed in Canada’s logging industry areas,
where strong, low-cost pavements were required in large sorting yards. Since then, RCCP has been widely
accepted and used in several applications such as ports, military facilities, distribution centers, nuclear power plants,
etc.
The mix proportions of RCCP are usually determined using either the concrete consistency method or soil compaction
method. In the concrete consistency approach, the RCC is treated similarly to conventional concrete. The w/c ratio rule is
applied and consistency is measured using the Vebe consistency method. In the soil compaction approach, water content is
determined from the relationship between dry density and moisture content.
The mechanical properties of RCC are somewhat similar to concrete, where it exhibits excellent compressive strength but
poor tensile and flexural strengths. Several studies showed that RCC exhibited tensile strength of around 6–11% of the
compressive strength [5–9] and flexural strength of around 10–20% [8–13] of the compressive strength.
In order to improve the tensile and flexural strength capacities of RCC, fiber reinforcement technology can be adopted.
Fiber reinforcement technology refers to the addition of short fibers randomly into concrete. The distribution of fibers in the
concrete mixture helps intercept and slow down crack propagation which, in turn, enhances flexural and tensile load
capacities and allows concrete to resist loads beyond cracking.
Although there have been some studies related to the use of fibers in roller compacted concrete since 1989 [14], the
number of publications is still limited.
Neocleous et al. [15] used unprocessed steel tire cord fibers (recovered from waste tires) to mix with RCCP at 75 and
150 kg/m3. Their results showed an increase of water requirement from 6.25 to 7.5% with an increasing fiber content from 0
to 150 kg/m3. The addition of fibers caused the compressive strength to decrease from 38 to 31.3 MPa. The improvement in
post-peak response of flexural behavior was also reported, although there was no report on toughness and residual
strength.
LaHucik et al. [16] compared mechanical properties of fiber reinforced Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) with fiber
reinforced roller compacted concrete (FRRCCP) using 6 types of fibers including synthetic, carbon, and steel fibers. The
28-day compressive, splitting tensile, and flexural strengths were found to increase at a low fiber content (0.2% by volume),
then decreased at a high fiber content (0.4% by volume).
Jafarifar et al. [17] investigated the effect of shrinkage cracks on the load bearing capacity of steel fiber reinforced roller
compacted concrete pavement (SFRRCCP). They concluded that by ignoring the effect of shrinkage distress, the load bearing
capacity of SFRRCCP is overestimated by about twice.
Madhkhan et al. [18] mixed steel and micro polypropylene fibers in RCC containing Taftan pozzolan up to 30%. They
reported the improvement in compressive strength with the increasing content of both types of fibers. The modulus of
rupture, on the other hand, was found to decrease with the fiber content while the toughness indices calculated according to
ASTM C1018 were found to increase with the fiber content.
This study aims to 1) investigate the effect of steel fibers on the behavior of RCCP at different ages and 2) promote the
use of RCCP in road construction in Thailand which was initiated by DoH in 2006. The experimental part included
experimental series such as the modified Proctor test, Vebe consistency test, compression test, and flexural test to
investigate on the properties of RCCP mixed with steel fibers at different ages of 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. Results in terms of
compressive strength, strain energy density, flexural strength and toughness, and residual strength at different ages are
analyzed and discussed.

2. Experimental procedure

2.1. Materials

Materials used in the experiment consisted of Portland cement type 1 with a specific gravity of 3.15 in accordance to
ASTM C 150 standard, river sand passing sieve No. 4 in accordance with ASTM C 33 standard, crushed limestone with
maximum size (MSA) of 25 mm and specific gravity (SG-SSD) of 2.72 (Table 1), and hooked end steel fibers with properties as
shown in Table 2.
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Table 1
Properties of aggregates.

Properties Unit Coarse Aggregate Fine aggregates

Specific gravity (SSD) 2.72 2.58
Specific gravity (Dry) 2.71 2.56
Specific gravity (Appearance) 2.73 2.62
Bulk Density kg/m3 1542.5
Absorption % 0.39 0.91
Fineness modulus – 2.63

Table 2
Properties of steel fibers.

Name Specific Gravity Length Diameter Aspect Ratio Tensile Strength Shape
(mm) (mm) (l/d) (MPa)
HE 7.8 35 0.55 64 1000

2.2. Mix proportioning of RCCP

Both high paste and lean mix methods were adopted in the RCCP proportional mix process. The high paste method
is used in estimating the mix proportion of solid ingredients, such as cement, fine aggregate, and coarse aggregate,
based on the required compressive strength. The mix design is carried out based on the ACI 318 recommendations
[19]. After all the essential ingredients were predetermined, the lean mix method was used in determining the
optimum moisture content under compaction using the modified Proctor test (ASTM D1557) [20].
According to APCA Guide Specification for Roller Compacted Concrete Pavement [21], the compressive strength of
28 and 31 MPa are recommended for RCC mixtures in areas without and with freeze/thaw conditions. In this study, a
compressive strength of 28 MPa was selected, and the amount of cement along with fine and coarse aggregates were
approximated equal to 264, 1088, and 931 kg, respectively (Table 2). By keeping all solid ingredient contents
and varying water content constant, the optimum moisture content can be obtained from the modified Proctor
(MP) test.
To begin the MP test, raw materials were dry-mixed in a mixer for 5 min. Then water was added and the mixing continued
for another 5 min. The wet mix was transferred to a cylindrical metal mold with an internal diameter of 152.4 mm and height
of 117 mm. The concrete placing was divided equally into 5 layers. A hammer with weight of 4.5 kg was used in compacting
concrete from 457 mm height for 56 blows per layer. After compaction, the excess concrete at the top was removed. The final
specimen was then carefully removed from the mold and weighed. Finally, the specimen was cut in half and a sample of
about 100 g was drawn out, weighed, and placed in the oven for 24 h to determine the moisture content. The process was
repeated 5 to 6 times with different water contents.
The ACPA recommends a moisture content of 5–8% for the MP test [22]. In this study, a moisture content of 3–7% (with 1%
increment) was used in the test. The predetermined mix proportions are given in Table 1. For the fiber reinforced RCCP
(FRCCP), the fiber volume fractions were set at 0.5–1.0% by volume of concrete (Table 3). The results of MP test and optimum
moisture content are discussed in Section 3.1.

2.3. Vebe consistency test

After obtaining mix proportions for both RCCP and FRCCP, the consistency of each mix was measured using the Vebe
consistency test (ASTM C1170) [23]. The VC test is a modified version of the Vebe test. It follows similar procedure except for

Table 3
Mix proportion for modified Proctor test.

Designation Cement Coarse Ag. Fine Ag. Steel Fiber Moisture (%)
(kg/m3) (kg/m3) (kg/m3) (%Vf)
RCCP 264 1088 931 – 3–7%
0.5%FRCCP 264 1088 931 0.5 3–7%
1.0%FRCCP 264 1088 931 1.0 3–7%
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the addition of a surcharge weight of 22.7 kg during the vibration. It measures the time required for fresh concrete to be
consolidated under a surcharge mass.
The process begins by placing a slump cone in the container, filling the cone with fresh concrete, lifting up the cone to
allow concrete to fill into the container, placing surcharge weight on top of the concrete surface, and then starting the
vibration and timer. As the vibration progresses, the mortar will begin to fill up the annular space between the
surcharge edge and the inside of the container wall. The test ends when the annular space is filled up with fresh mortar.
The recorded time is called ‘Vebe Consistency (VC) time’. In this study, the VC time was measured for all RCCP and
FRCCP mixes.

2.4. Testing and specimen preparation

Two tests were carried out to measure the mechanical properties of RCCP and FRCCP: compression test (ASTM C39) [24]
and flexural performance test for FRC (ASTM C1609) [25].
The RCCP specimen preparation was carried out in accordance to ASTM C1176 [26]. The process began by placing
fresh concrete mix into a mold. Depending on the type of test, a cylindrical mold with a dimension of
Dia.150
300 mm was used for the compression test, and a prismatic beam with a dimension of 100
100
350 mm
was used for the flexure test. The mold was divided into layers (5 layers for cylindrical mold and 3 layers for prismatic
beam) and each layer of concrete was vibrated with a surcharge weight of 9.1 kg until the mortar filled up the annular
space between the surcharge edge and the container wall. After completion of the last layer, the excess concrete was
removed. The specimens were covered with a plastic sheet for 24 h. After demolding, the specimens were cured in
water until the date of test. The load-deformation (or deflection) responses, strain energy density (compression),
flexural toughness and residual strength (flexure), and strength development at the ages of 3, 7, 14, and 28 days were
investigated.
For compression test, the fracture energy density defined as the area under the stress-strain curve can be determined
using the Eq. (1).
Z ef
u¼ s de ð1Þ
0

where u = strain energy density (MPa), s = stress (MPa), e = strain and ef = strain at failure
For bending test, both flexural toughness and residual strength (or equivalent flexural strength ratio @L/150) are
calculated as per ASTM C1609 [21] using the following equations.
FL
Modulus of Rupter ðMORÞor Flexural strength ðf Þ ¼ 2
ð2Þ
bd

Z dL=150
U 150 ¼ Fdd ð3Þ
0

150
U 150
RD
U150 ¼ 2

100% ð4Þ
f
b
d

where U150 = flexural toughness at deflection of L/150, F = bending force (kN),d = deflection (mm), RD
U 150 = Residual strength at
L/150 (%), f = flexural strength, L = clear span support (mm), b = width (mm) and d = depth (mm).

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Optimum moisture content and dry density

Results from the MP test are shown in Fig. 1. Regardless of the RCCP type, the dry density was found to increase with the
moisture content up to a certain point then decrease gradually. The moisture content that yielded the maximum dry density
is called the ‘Optimum Moisture Content’.
Comparing the RCCP and FRCCP, the optimum moisture content and dry density of the FRCCP were slightly higher than
those of the RCCP. Additionally, they also increased with the fiber volume fraction. The increase in the optimum moisture
content was due to the increase in specific surface area from the addition of fibers. Since the fibers are short with small
diameters, their addition immediately increased the specific surface area. This caused the water required for full
consolidation as well as the optimum moisture content to increase.
 P. Sukontasukkul et al. / Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271 5

Fig. 1. Relationship between moisture content and dry density.

The increase in dry density for the FRCCP was due to the higher density of steel than concrete. The steel fiber has density of
about 7800 kg/m3 while concrete has about 2300–2500 kg/m3. With a higher density of about 3 times, the addition of fibers,
though at small volume fraction, also caused a slightly increase in dry density.
The relationship between the moisture content and dry density can be expressed in Eq. (5)–(7).
RCCPD = 21.061 w2 + 209.88 w + 1852.5 (5)

0.5%FRCCPD = 17.698 w2 + 183.5 w + 1908.3 (6)

1.0%FRCCPD = 15.509 w2 + 163.73 w + 1958.7 (7)

where D is the dry density and w is the moisture content.

Using the obtained relationships, the optimum moisture content and its corresponding dry density for each RCCP type
can be determined. The results are shown in Table 4.

3.2. Consistency test

The VC times obtained from the Vebe Consistency test are given in Table 3. The VC times were found to be ranging
from 17 to 29 s. Plain RCCP exhibited less VC time as compared to the FRCCP. The time also increased with increasing
fiber volume fractions from 0.5% to 1.0% (from 23 to 29 s, respectively). The increase in VC time implied that more
time was required to fully consolidate the FRCCP than plain RCCP due to the increasing surface area derived from
fibers.
The VC time is the amount of time required for mix to be fully consolidated under surcharge weight.
Theoretically, full consolidation requires all solid ingredients to be covered with water and air bubbles removed from
the mixture, which later allows free water to rise to the top surface. Since the FRCCP mix has higher specific surface
area than the plain RCCP does due to the addition of fibers, more time is required in order to achieve full
consolidation.

Table 4
Optimum moisture content and Maximum dry density.

RCCP type Optimum Moisture content (%) Maximum Dry density Vebe
(kg/m3) Consistency time (seconds)
Plain RCCP 4.98 2375 17
0.5%FRCCP 5.18 2384 23
1.0%FRCCP 5.28 2391 29
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3.3. Mechanical properties

3.3.1. Compression test

The compression responses of RCCP and FRCCP under different ages are illustrated in Fig. 2a–c. The plain RCCP appeared
to behave in brittle manner, in which the stresses dropped abruptly as soon as they reached their peak. In the case of FRCCP,
the responses were more of a ductile manner, in which the post-peak stresses descended softly and extended longer beyond
the peak stress. The existence of fibers helped intercept cracks and slowed down the crack propagation.

Fig. 2. Compressive responses of (a) RCCP (b) 0.5%FRCCP and (c) 1.0%FRCCP.
 P. Sukontasukkul et al. / Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271 7

Table 5
Compressive strength and strain energy density at different age.

Age Compressive strength (MPa) Strain energy density (kPa)

Plain RCCP 0.5%FRCCP 1.0%FRCCP Plain RCCP 0.5% 1.0%

FRCCP FRCCP
Avg. S.D.(%) Avg. S.D.(%) Avg. S.D.(%)
3 days 23.6 1.45 24.8 2.05 24.5 2.38 41.9 94.4 158.6
7 days 28.9 1.53 26.6 1.87 26.5 1.50 57.8 94.8 137.2
14 days 33.0 0.95 31.0 1.08 30.6 2.48 60.2 149.1 179.6
28 days 34.0 0.62 33.3 0.85 33.6 0.90 63.0 166.9 220.5

% Development comparing to age 28 days

3 days 69% 75% 73% NA
7 days 85% 80% 79%
14 days 97% 93% 91%
28 days 100% 100% 100%

Considering the age effect prior to cracking, the compressive responses were dominated by the properties of concrete.
Similar responses were observed in both RCCP and FRCCP. The pre-peak response showed the increase in strength and elastic
modulus with age of RCCP. However, beyond the first cracking or peak, since the concrete had already cracked, the fibers
were in control of the post-peak response. At early age, the fiber contribution was relatively small because the bond between
fiber and concrete had not yet fully matured. The post-peak behaviors of FRRCP were somewhat similar to that of plain RCCP.
At the age of 28 days, as the compressive and bond strengths became stronger and more mature. The effect of fiber bridging
began to play bigger role and the post-peak responses shifted to a more ductile mode.
The compressive strength and strain energy density are given in Table 5. In general, the compressive strength of RCCP and
FRCCP was found to increase with the increasing age. The RCCP exhibited 7/28 and 14/28-day compressive strength ratio of
85 and 97%, respectively. For FRCCP, they exhibited slightly slow rate of strength development as seen by the average 7/28
and 14/28-day compressive strength ratio of 79.5 and 92%, respectively. The average percentage of 7/28-day compressive
strength ratios of both RCCP types appeared to satisfy the requirement for early traffic opening by DRR (7/28-day strength
ratio of 70%) [27].
For the 28-day compressive strength, addition of fibers did not seem to affect the compressive strength much as they
were comparatively within the similar range. The FRCCP, on the other hand, exhibited a slightly smaller strength than the
RCCP did by about 1 or 2% difference. The compressive strength of 34.0, 33.3 and 33.6 MPa were observed for plain RCCP, 0.5%
FRCCP and 1.0%FRCCP, respectively. The small decrease in compressive strength partially contributed to the increase in water
requirement from the addition of fibers. It is well known that addition of water into concrete mixer increases porosity which,
in turn, leads to the reduction in compressive strength. Another reason could be that the addition of fibers itself also
increases the interfacial transition zone between fiber and cement matrix which can lower the compressive strength.
Although the fibers did not affect the compressive strength, they did enhance the toughness of the RCCP. Toughness refers
to the area under to load- deformation curve. It indicates the amount of energy required to deform the specimen. By
incorporating fibers at 0.5 and 1.0% by volume, the 28-day strain energy density increased by more than three folds from
about 63 to 167 and 220 kPa, respectively. The increase in strain energy density was a direct result of the change of RCCP
behavior from brittle to ductile response and the better post-peak response of FRCCP. In order to completely fracture the
specimen, additional forces are required to pull fibers out of the matrix (after the first crack), this caused the FRCCP to
maintain load carry capacity even after first cracking.

3.3.2. Flexural performance test

The flexural responses of RCCP and FRCCP are shown in Fig. 3a–c. In general, the load carrying capacity and stiffness
increased with the age of specimen. In the case of plain RCCP, the flexural responses were in a brittle manner similar to the
compressive response. For FRCCP, the effect of fiber is more pronounced when subjected to flexural load. The increase in peak
load was observed and the responses became more ductile in both 0.5% and 1.0% FRCCP. Without fibers, plain RCCP collapsed
suddenly as soon as the peak load was reached. FRCCP, on the other hand, was able to maintain the load carry capacity
beyond the first cracking (or peak load). The slow descend of load beyond the first cracking (post-peak response) indicated
the effect of fiber bridging across the cracks and slowing down the crack propagation.
Comparing between FRCCP specimens, a small difference in the load response between them can be noticed. At a smaller
volume fraction (0.5%FRCCP), right after the peak load or first crack, a sharp drop of load was detected in specimens at all
ages. Later the load was then picked up by the fibers and continued in a descending trend. However, as the fiber volume
fraction increased to 1%, the sharp drop of load seemed to disappear. This is because the load was picked up by fibers quickly
with higher volume fraction (or larger number) of fibers.
Comparing at different ages, there was no mode shifting in the flexural response unlike the compressive response; ductile
responses were observed in FRCCPs regardless of their age. The post-peak responses of FRCCP had found to improve with age
8 P. Sukontasukkul et al. / Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271

Fig. 3. Flexural responses (a) RCCP, (b) 0.5%FRCCP and (c) 1.0%FRCCP.
 P. Sukontasukkul et al. / Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271 9

of specimen. The improvement was shown in form of the increase in (post-peak) load carrying capacity with increasing age
(discussed further in residual strength).
Table 6 shows the results on flexural load and modulus of rupture (MoR). The flexural load refers to the first peak load or
the load at the first cracking. Regardless of RCCP type, both flexural load and MoR increased with the increasing age of
concrete. The average 3/28, 7/28 and 14/28 strength ratios of 77, 84 and 91%, respectively were observed. The 7/28 strength
ratio of 84% appeared to satisfy the DRR requirement.
In terms of flexural strength, theoretically, the use of fiber at a low dosage (less than 1%) is not intended to improve the
flexural load, but to increase the toughness. However, the increase in peak load is often observed. In this study, the increase in
28-day flexural load by 22% from 13.6 to 14.9 and 16.7 kN was observed as the fiber content increased from 0 to 0.5 and 1.0%
by volume, respectively.
The flexural toughness (area under load-deflection curve up to L/150 or 2 mm.) was found to increase significantly when
fibers were incorporated into the RCCP mix (Fig. 4). Plain RCCP exhibited flexural toughness of 1.38 N-m. An increase of up to
14 and 19 folds was observed with the addition of 0.5% and 1.0% of fibers by volume, respectively. The increase in flexural
toughness mainly contributed to the effect of fiber bridging across the cracks. When a crack propagates pass the fibers, they
tend to restrain or even arrest the crack from moving. In order to further propagate the cracks, more forces are required
overcome the fiber arrest. The chance of fiber arresting increases with the increase in number of fibers. This is why adding
more fibers from 0.5 to 1.0% resulted in increasing toughness.
The residual strength, or equivalent flexural strength ratio, refers to the remaining strength of concrete after the peak load
at the deflection of L/150 and is normally displayed as a percentage of the first peak strength (Fig. 5). According to test results,

Table 6
Flexural load and Modulus of Rupture.

Age Flexural load (kN) MoR (MPa)

(days)
RCCP 0.5%FRCCP 1.0%FRCCP RCCP 0.5%FRCCP 1.0%FRCCP
3 9.8 11.5 13.5 2.95 3.44 4.05
7 11.6 11.6 15.1 3.48 3.47 4.53
14 12.6 13.2 15.2 3.78 3.96 4.56
28 13.6 14.9 16.7 4.08 4.47 5.00

% Development comparing to age 28 days

3 72% 77% 81% Similar to flexural load
7 85% 78% 91%
14 93% 89% 91%
28 100% 100% 100%

Fig. 4. Relationship between Flexural toughness and Age.

10 P. Sukontasukkul et al. / Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271

Fig. 5. Relationship between Equivalent Flexural Strength and Age.

the residual strength was found to increase with the age of concrete. At the age of 3 days, it was suspected that the bond
between concrete and fiber had not yet established well, hence lower residual strengths of 45 and 64% were observed in 0.5%
FRCCP and 1.0%FRCCP, respectively. At the age of 28 days, the concrete strength was mature as well as the bond between fiber
and concrete. This increased the (post peak) load carrying capacity and resulted in higher residual strength above 60%. The
residual strength of 1.0%FRCCP was higher than that of 0.5%FRCCP by about 22–43% depending on the age of RCCP. The
increase was due to the larger number of fibers distributed in the mix, which contributed more in intercepting and arresting
the cracks.

4. Conclusion

The addition of fibers into RCCP mixture affects the properties at different degrees.

 The water requirement and density were found to increase slightly due to the increase in specific surface area and larger
density of steel fibers.
 The compression load responses of FRCCP and RCCP were in a similar mode (brittle) at an early age. However, with the
increasing age as the concrete strength becomes more mature, the load responses of FRCCP shifted to a more ductile mode.
Although the 28-day compressive strength was found to decrease slightly with fiber content by about 1–2% as compared to
RCCP, the strain energy density was found to increase markedly by 3–4 folds.
 In the case of flexural load, the addition of fiber enhanced the flexural performance of RCCP significantly. The FRCCP
exhibited higher flexural load, MoR, flexural toughness, and residual strength than the RCCP did. The increase in flexural
load and MoR from 10 to 20% was observed. FRCCP exhibited ductile flexural load responses right from early age; there was
no mode shifting as found in the compression response. Similar to the flexural strength, the toughness and residual
strengths were found to increase with age. At the age of 28 days, the residual strengths of 67 and 82% were observed in 0.5%
and 1.0%FRCCP.
 The 7/28-day strength ratios under both compression and flexure loads of all RCCP types were found to be well above 70%
and considered a pass in the early traffic opening requirement by DRR.
 The future lookout for this research would be to investigate the effect of fiber pultruding out and its effect on vehicle tires.

Declaration of Competing Interest

None.
 P. Sukontasukkul et al. / Case Studies in Construction Materials 11 (2019) e00271 11

Acknowledgements

This research is funded by Thailand Research Fund under contract no. RTA5980005 and DPG6180002. Special thanks is
also due to S.R. Fibres Co., Ltd. and Bekaert Corp. for supporting steel fibers. Thanks also to Ms. Charrisa S. for editing the
English language. All authors declare no conflict of interest.

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