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Workability and mechanical behavior of steel fiber reinforced self-

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Article in Composite Interfaces · January 2023

DOI: 10.1080/09276440.2022.2164424

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 Composite Interfaces

ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tcoi20

Workability and mechanical behavior of steel

fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete with
supplementary cementitious materials

Muneeb Ayoub Memon, Noor Ahmed Memon, Bashir Ahmed Memon, Aftab
Hameed Memon & Abdul Qadir Memon

To cite this article: Muneeb Ayoub Memon, Noor Ahmed Memon, Bashir Ahmed Memon, Aftab
Hameed Memon & Abdul Qadir Memon (2023): Workability and mechanical behavior of steel
fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete with supplementary cementitious materials, Composite
Interfaces, DOI: 10.1080/09276440.2022.2164424

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/09276440.2022.2164424

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COMPOSITE INTERFACES
https://doi.org/10.1080/09276440.2022.2164424

Workability and mechanical behavior of steel fiber reinforced

self-compacting concrete with supplementary cementitious
materials
Muneeb Ayoub Memon, Noor Ahmed Memon, Bashir Ahmed Memon,
Aftab Hameed Memon and Abdul Qadir Memon
Civil Engineering Department, Quaid-e-Awam University of Engineering Science & Technology Nawabshah,
Sindh, Pakistan

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

The use of additives as supplementary cementitious materials Received 19 October 2022
(SCM) from waste materials in concrete helps to improve its Accepted 10 December 2022
properties and protects the environment from hazardous KEYWORDS
impacts. This study is focused to use waste materials like silica Self-compacting concrete;
fume and fly ash with steel fibers (SFs) in production of SCC. cementitious materials; steel
Two mixes with 5%SF&15%FA and 10%SF&15%FA were used. fibers; flow ability; passing
The dosage of steel fibers with aspect ratio 20 was used in the ability; segregation
dosage of 0.1, 0.15, and 0.2% by volume of concrete. To test resistance; compressive
fiber’s impact on workability, a lower aspect ratio is chosen. strength; split tensile
From test results, it was observed that lower dosage of additive strength; flexural strength
shows better performance of SCC both at fresh and hardened
state. Significant improvement in the flexural strength of con­
crete mix containing 0.15% SFs, 5%SF&15%FA was recorded. In
addition the specimens with the steel fibers during split tensile
and bending test did not split completely in two pieces at
collapse due to the presence of fibers, which act as locking
medium in concrete matrix. This indicates some sort of ductile
fracture and sign of impending warning time before the com­
plete failure of high-strength SCC.

Results

The fresh properes of SCC are decreased but the change

in almost all the fresh properes is not more than 10%.
Mixing

Testing of FR-SCC

Compressive strength and indirect spilt

Fiber Reinforced tensile strength are slightly decreased
Because the steel fibers are mixed
SCC
randomly in concrete this may occur in
mulple direconal orientaons in the
hardened concrete.

Aggregates

Fresh properties

Flexural strength is significantly increased

The specimens under spli"ng and bending did not collapse
completely into two pieces. This indicates some sort of
ducle fracture and impending warning me before the
complete failure of high-strength SCC.
Hardened Properties

CONTACT Muneeb Ayoub Memon engr.muneebmemon@gmail.com Civil Engineering Department, Quaid-

e-Awam University of Engineering Science & Technology Nawabshah, Sindh, Pakistan
© 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
2 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

1. Introduction
Attractive infrastructures built around the world have not only changed the shape of the
world but also provided more space for accommodating to the growing population and
the needs of modern times. On the other hand, it generates a large amount of waste
material, putting an excessive burden on the project’s waste management. Furthermore,
it is estimated that the cement manufacturing process contributes approximately 5–8% of
carbon dioxide emissions, which is extremely harmful to the environment. As a result,
cement is not a good material for humans [1]. Because of the issue of global warming,
eco-friendly materials have received a lot of attention in scientific research. Construction
industries are currently working to reduce carbon emissions by blending supplementary
cementitious materials (SCM) with cement in production of eco-friendly concrete [2].
SCMs are classified as pozzolanic materials; some are natural pozzolans from volcanoes
[3], such as fly ash, perlite, zeolite, and others, while the second group are artificial
pozzolans, such as slags, silica fume, and others [4,5]. To protect the environment from
the hazardous effects of this waste, one possible solution is to reuse it in new concrete.
This process not only helps to reduce waste management costs, but it also aids in the
identification of indigenous, low-cost alternatives to concrete ingredients. Additionally,
the construction sector tried to create ductile concrete with high strength. Concrete
reinforced with dense steel can achieve high strength and adequate ductility. To improve
the constructability of heavily reinforced and deep concrete sections fluid-like fresh
concrete is required. Self-compacting concrete is that kind of concrete that can fully
enclose the formwork (moulds) of heavily reinforced, deep, and narrow sections without
the need for vibrational efforts. Consequently, avoiding the vibrational/compacting
equipment at the site [6]. Self-compacting concrete, which has a slump flow value greater
than 200 mm, is also known as flowing concrete [7]. For a potential method of casting
deep, thin, and narrow sections with proper cohesiveness and without the need for
external or internal vibration, slump flow values of more than 600 mm have recently
been developed [8]. Despite having excellent flowability, SCC performs poorly under
tension because it is a brittle material [9]. A unique variety of SCC called fiber reinforced
SCC is very sensitive to changes in fiber shape, type, and content in addition to w/b ratio,
dosage of super plasticizer (SP), and other factors [10]. One of the best ways to increase
the tensile and flexural performance of SCC is to incorporate randomly distributed short,
discrete fibers. Steel fibers, polypropylene fibers, nylon fibers, glass fibers, synthetic
fibers, and many other types of fibers are commercially available for the purpose.
These may be used in the manufacturing of SCC and their feasibility has been clearly
referenced [11–14]. For non-structural applications like shrinkage resistance, crack
resistance, and fire resistance, steel and polypropylene fibers are typically used. The
inclusion of fibers expands the benefits of SCC. In addition to serving as a crack bridge,
fibers also help SCC’s resistance to tension and bending in a hardened state. Thus, the use
of fibers may increase the SCC’s possible application areas. No doubt the workability
performance at the fresh state is negatively impacted by the addition of fibers in SCC,
despite the fact that the fresh properties are the primary determinants in producing the
SCC for desired hardened properties. The degree of decrease in workability depends on
the mix composition, type, and dosage of the fibers used. It is very much necessary to
design the mix with suitable content of fibers for obtaining the maximum benefits. Also,
 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 3

compatibility between desirable flow properties at the fresh state and improved perfor­
mance at the solid state should be developed [15].
Since fibers are known to disrupt the flow of SCC in its initial state, hence the question
arises whether the fibers are causing an interruption in the flow of SCC and if so, then it
necessary to make sure that SCC maintains the adequate range of flowability while using
fiber reinforcements [8]. Steel fibers have been successfully used in concrete to improve
mechanical performance, such as load-carrying capacity, post-cracking, and energy
absorption performance [16]. Mostly fibers are also used to decrease the crack width
which is one of the effective steps toward the durability of concrete [17]. An increase in
crack width rises the issues of concrete permeability leading to the corrosion of steel
reinforcement [18]. In this context, steel fibers are presented as a solution for the
problem, since the addition of fiber reinforcement in concrete decreases the crack
width, thus, increases the concrete ductility and improves the post-cracking resistance
[19]. The material transport characteristics, especially permeability, may adversely affect
the durability performance [19,20]. Ingress of water, chloride penetration, and other
corrosive agents favoring deterioration are brought on by an increase in the permeability
due to the spread of cracks [21,22]. Steel fibers are used to stitch larger cracks (wider than
100 m) and to decrease the crack depth by reducing the area of the cracks for perme­
ability [20,23]. This is likely caused by multiple cracks and crack stitching in the steel
fiber reinforcement, which increases concrete’s resistance to water and chemical pene­
tration [20,23,24].
Many studies have recently been conducted to investigate the behavior of fiber
reinforcement in SCC mixtures. Steel fiber reinforced SCC’s fresh and mechanical
performance were examined by Ranjbar and Zhang [25]. In their article they covered
the impact of fiber reinforcement in geopolymer composites. They considered the fiber’s
underlying mechanisms for interacting with the binder at both fresh and hardened states,
as well as thermal and environmental factors. Okuyucu et al. [26] looked into the
characteristics of semi-lightweight fiber reinforced concrete using unexpanded perlite
as an additional cementitious material and as an aggregate. According to Da Silva et al.
[27], steel fibers increase the ductility of concrete and provide a warning before total
failure. Steel and polypropylene fibers were used by Aslani et al. [28] to evaluate the
performance of heavyweight fiber reinforced self-compacted concrete (HWFR-SCC) in
both the fresh and hardened states. They asserted that fibers and heavy-weight aggregates
(HWA) have a negative impact on workability performance. By increasing the fiber
content, improvements were seen in the mechanical properties of the HWFR-SCC,
including compressive, split tensile, and flexural strengths. Through their research,
Frazao et al. [29] demonstrated the fiber reinforced SCC’s durability characteristics.
Hooked steel fibers with dimensions of L = 3 mm, D = 0.5 mm, and L/d = 70 were used
to create the (FR-SCC). The findings showed that adding steel fibers to SCC significantly
improved the post-cracking flexural resistance and energy absorption while having no
appreciable impact on the fresh and durability indicators of SCC. Using hybrid steel
fibers, Pajak and Ponikiewski [30] assessed the flexural behavior of SCC. The results of
this experimental study demonstrated that the highest volumetric fiber content mixes did
not meet SCC requirements. Very small differences in compressive strength values were
seen with hybrid steel fibers based on mechanical properties. However, the addition of
hybrid steel fibers significantly improved the flexural strength. Experimental research on
4 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

the flexural performance of SCC beams reinforced with steel fibers was done by [31].
Fresh properties’ findings pointed improved deformability without any blockage inflow.
Additionally, longitudinal steel reinforcement ratio, and SF dosage increased compres­
sive and flexural strengths.
The above discussion of available state-of-art relevant to the proposed topic of
research clearly shows that good amount of time and work has been devoted by research
community around the world for development of SSC with waste material and fibers.
However, reported results from these studies have varied greatly, and their scope has
been extremely constrained. The properties of the ingredients used the age of the waste
material, the dosage of the materials, and the type, size, and aspect ratio of the fibers are
primarily responsible for the variation in results. Additionally, the work on development
of SSC in Pakistan using indigenous materials is either absent or extremely rare.
Therefore, this study proposes the use of different dosages of silica fume and fly ash
along with steel fibers of lower aspect ratio, than reported in literature. It is anticipated
that the outcome of the work will help in reaching at the logical conclusion that may serve
as the benchmark for future researchers as well as a guideline for the construction
industry and end-users to adopt SCC with more assurance. However, for the same on
large scale a systematic and comprehensive study is necessary.

2. Materials and methodology

This experimental study is focused to investigate the fresh and hardened properties of
steel fiber reinforced SCC by using supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). For
the addition of steel fibers, two mix designs were chosen. Both fly ash and silica fume
were used, with specific gravities of 2.27 and 2.3, respectively, as determined by the
applicable ASTM standards. The silica fume under the trade name Master Roc 610 is
used. The material confirms the recommendations of ASTM C 1240–15 [32]. Fly ash
from Pakistan’s Thar Coal power generating facilities was used in this study. The
substance validates Class-F in accordance with ASTM C 618–17 [33]. The locally
manufactured ordinary Portland cement (under brand name ‘Lucky Star’) conforms to
ASTM C150 M–18 [34] with 99% fineness and 3.13 specific gravity was used throughout
the study. Fly ash, silica fume, and ordinary Portland cement are taken to have the same
physical and chemical properties as those previously published by the main author
elsewhere [7]. A total of eight mixes were designed according to EFNARC guidelines
[35]. The details of mixes with quantities of ingredients for one cubic meter of concrete
are given in Table 1.
In accordance with Memon’s findings [7], silica fume and fly ash dosages have been
adopted with fixed water binder ratio of 0.34. 550 kg/m3 binder content has been chosen
to be used in this research work. The water content is adjusted with the appropriate
dosage of the superplasticizer. The superplasticizer ‘Master Polyheed 996’ from BASF
chemical company Karachi, with relative density equal to 1.08 ± 0.02@ 25° and pH value
≥6 was used. It followed ‘Type-F’ as per ASTM C 494 [36] recommendations.
Figure 1 depicts the visual representation of cement, fly ash, silica fume, and super­
plasticizer. The coarse aggregates with a maximum size of 20 mm were used. The volume
of coarse aggregates adopted was 35% of the total volume of concrete. The sand passed
from the #4 sieve was used for balancing the other constituents in the volume of concrete.
 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 5

Table 1. Details of mixes and mix proportions for SCC and FR-SCCs.
Steel fiber PC (kg/ Fly ash Silica Fume Binder FA (kg/ CA (kg/ Water SP
Mixes (kg/m3) m3) (kg/m3) (kg/m3) (kg/m3) m3) m3) W/B (kg/m3) (%)
(5%SF15% 0 440 82.5 27.5 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.25
FA)
FRSCC 2.45 440 82.5 27.5 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.25
(0.1%)
FRSCC 3.68 440 82.5 27.5 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.25
(0.15%)
FRSCC 4.9 440 82.5 27.5 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.25
(0.2%)
(10% 0 412.5 82.5 55 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.5
SF15%
FA)
FRSCC 2.45 412.5 82.5 55 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.5
(0.1%)
FRSCC 3.68 412.5 82.5 55 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.5
(0.15%)
FRSCC 4.9 412.5 82.5 55 550 870 880 0.34 187 2.5
(0.2%)

Figure 1. Cement, fly ash, silica fume, and superplasticizer.

Both coarse and fine aggregates were obtained from approved quarries by the govern­
ment of Pakistan [37]. Sieve analysis of both aggregates was done in accordance with
relevant ASTM standards and is shown in Figure 2.
Steel binding wires measuring 20 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter were used as
fiber reinforcement. Typically, using steel fibers in concrete requires an aspect ratio of 60
to 80; however, this study aims to examine the effects of using a lower aspect ratio of steel
fiber, therefore aspect ratio of 20 is used. The steel wires had a tensile strength of 270 MPa
6 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

Coarse Aggregate Fine Aggregate

120 120
Cumulative % Passing

Cumulative % Passing
100 100
80 80
60 60
40 40
20 20
0 0
13.2 12.5 9.5 4.75 4.75 2.36 1.18 0.6 0.3 1.15
Sieve size (mm) Sieve size (mm)

Figure 2. Passing percentages of coarse and fine aggregates.

Table 2. Characteristics of Steel fiber.

Properties Steel Fibers
Length 20 mm
Diameter 1 mm
Shape Straight
aspect ratio L/D 20

and were made of high carbon steel. Its dosage was 0%, 0.1%, 0. 15%, and 0.2% of the total
volume of the concrete. Concrete mix with no steel fibers was treated as control mix.
Table 2 provides information about steel fibers, and Figure 3 depicts a pictorial view of
the steel fibers.
Two concrete mixes mentioned earlier are adopted following the recommendations
and conclusion of [7]. The first mix contained 5% silica fume and 15% fly ash whereas
the second mix contained 10% silica fume and 15% fly ash. In both mixes, steel fibers
were introduced with the dosage mentioned above. Thus, a total of eight concrete mixes
were used in this work. In the first mix, superplasticizer was used at a constant dosage of

Figure 3. Steel fibers.

 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 7

2.25% whereas the dosage of superplasticizer in the second group was 2.5%. The increase
in dosage of superplasticizer was made considering the higher water demand of increased
dosage of fly ash in the mix. Using above-mentioned materials and their quantities
(Table 1) preparation of mixes and samples and testing are illustrated in Figure 4.
Following the above-mentioned procedure concrete mix was prepared by using weight
batching of the ingredients. The uniformity of the steel fibers in concrete matrix is hard
to ensure; however, for best possible results concrete ingredients and steel fibers were
first thoroughly mixed in dry state. Then the ingredients were mixed in concrete mixer.
The fresh properties of the mix; filling ability (slump flow test and V-funnel test), passing
ability (J-ring and L-box test), and segregation resistance (V-funnel time at 5 minutes);
were performed in accordance with relevant standards [38,39] and [40]. For each test
three samples were used, and the obtained results were averaged. Figure 5 shows the fresh
properties tests for selected samples.
After evaluating the fresh properties, hardened properties were determined. The
cube, cylinder, and prism specimens were cast and tested for compressive strength,
split tensile strength, and flexural strength respectively. The molds were prepared by
oiling the inner surfaces for the preparation of specimens for hardened properties.
For each batch of concrete in all eight mixes five samples of each cube (150 mm ×
150 mmx 150 mm), cylinder (150 mm × 150 mm x 300 mm) and prism (100 mm×
100 mm x 500 mm) were prepared. All the samples were then cured for 28-days by
fully immersing in potable water. After the elapse of the curing time samples were
taken out of the water and left for 24 hours in the laboratory to air dry.
Compression and split cylinder tests were conducted in the universal testing

Concrete Ingredients
Conventional, SF, FA, SP, Steel fibers (STF)
Selection/Testing

Mix – 1 Mix – 2
With 5% SF, 15% FA, 2.25% SP With 10% SF, 15% FA, 2.5% SP

FRSCC 1 FRSCC 2 FRSCC 3 FRSCC 4 FRSCC 5 FRSCC 6 FRSCC 7 FRSCC 8

(0% STF) (0.1% STF) (0.15% STF) (0.2% STF) (0% STF) (0.1% STF) (0.15% STF) (0.2% STF)

Weighing, batching, and mixing of ingredients for fresh and hardened properties

Fresh properties Hardened properties

• Slump flow time test
• Slump flow diameter test
• V Funnel time test
• J Ring test
• L Box test
Comparison and Discussion of Results
Preparation and curing of 40 Compressive strength test in
cubes (150mmx150mmx150mm) universal testing machine
Preparation and curing of 40 Split tensile strength test in
cylinders (150mmx 150x 300mm) universal testing machine
Preparation and curing of 40 Flexural strength test under
prisms (100mmx100mmx500mm) central point loading in
universal testing machine
Conclusion

Figure 4. Methodology of testing.

8 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

Figure 5. Tests for fresh properties.

machine in accordance with relevant ASTM test procedures under gradually increas­
ing load at the rate of 0.5kN/min till the rupture of the specimens. The failure load
was recorded and used to compute the compressive and tensile strength using
standard formulae. Flexural strength test was also performed in a universal testing
machine under central point load with the same rate of loading as mentioned
earlier. The recorded load was used to compute flexural strength from the standard
formula for a central point load. Figure 6 shows the testing of selected specimens.
The average of the results within each set was evaluated. The obtained results will be
discussed in the next section with details.

Figure 6. Tests for hardened properties.

 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 9

Table 3. Fresh properties of FRSCC.

FILLING ABILITY PASSING ABILITY SEGREGATION
RESISTANCE
Slump flow T50cm V-funnel time J-ring height L-box height V-funnel time
S/No Mixes SP 65–80 cm 2–5 sec 8–25 sec 0–10 mm ratio 0.8–1.0 8–25 sec
1 SCC (5%SF 2.25 74.6 4.1 11.8 9.3 0.86 15
15%FLA)
2 FRSCC 2.25 73.9 4.3 12.6 9.3 0.89 16.2
(0.1%)
3 FRSCC 2.25 73.3 4.4 13.1 9.42 0.91 16.8
(0.15%)
4 FRSCC 2.25 72.8 4.5 13.8 9.5 0.92 17.1
(0.2%)
5 SCC (10%SF 2.5 75.5 4.9 13.2 9.7 0.85 18.3
15%FLA)
6 FRSCC 2.5 75.1 4.9 13.7 9.7 0.89 18.8
(0.1%)
7 FRSCC 2.5 74.8 5.1 14.1 9.8 0.92 19.2
(0.15%)
8 FRSCC 2.5 74.1 5.2 14.2 9.9 0.93 20.2
(0.2%)

3. Results and discussions

3.1 Fresh properties of FRSCC
The length of the fibers used in fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete is typically
between 10 and 80 millimeters, depending on the study’s scope, concept, and fiber type.
In addition to the usual components of the matrix, fibers are added to the concrete.
Mostly fibers are mixed randomly causing interlocking of the fibers which on other hand
restricts the free flow of the concrete mix. It is thus inferred that the addition of fibers
results in a hindrance in the flowability of the mix thereby decreasing the workability of
the concrete. Therefore, in this experimental program aspect ratio of the fibers is set
equal to 20 with the aim that it will affect the workability less compared to the literature
reports discussed previously.
To guarantee the necessary fresh properties of FRSCC in accordance with EFNARC
guidelines [35], three major tests were carried out: filling ability, passing ability, and
segregation resistance. The values of the fresh properties for all the mixes with the dosage
of SP are given in Table 3.

3.1.1 Filling ability of FRSCC

The filling ability of concretes was determined by slump flow time, slump flow diameter,
and V-funnel time tests.
Figures 7–9 show the comparison of slump flow time, slump flow diameter, and
V-funnel flow time vs fiber volumetric fraction respectively for both the mixes.
Figure 7 shows that addition of steel fibers increases T50 time from 0% to 9.97% in
considered concrete mixes. The increase was less at lower dose of steel fibers. However,
all the recorded values were less than 10% and within specified ranges given in [35]. Since
the change in T50 time is less than 10%, therefore, it may be said that the parameter is
unaffected due to introduction of the steel fibers of aspect ratio 20. Which on other hand
significantly affected if standard aspect ratio of fibers (60 to 80) is used. While comparing
10 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

Slump Flow Time T50 (sec)

6.00
Slump Flow Time T50 : sec 5.50 5.1 5.2
4.9 4.9
5.00
4.4 4.5
4.50 4.3
4.1
4.00
3.50 5%SF&15%FLA
3.00 10%SF&15%FLA
2.50
2.00
SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1%) FR-SCC (0.15%) FR-SCC (0.2%)

Fibre Volumetric Fraction

Figure 7. Slump flow time T50 (sec) of fiber reinforced SCC.

the mixes with silica fume and fly ash T50 cm time showed a slight increase for the fiber
dosages of 0.1% and 0.15%, but the same increased to approximately 9% for the fiber
dosage of 0.2%. This demonstrates that an increase in steel fiber dosage causes the T50
time to increase. Additionally, it should be noted that the increase in the parameter is
minimal even at the highest dosage of steel fibers used. Therefore, impact of lower aspect
ratio steel fibers on workability is nonexistent.
Figure 8 shows that the addition of steel fibers to concrete resulted in a reduction in
the slump flow diameter. The recorded results are within the required limits [35], even
though the parameter value decreased. Only 2.35% of the values were reduced at their
maximum. Steel fibers’ minimal effects on flow values show that the deviation can be
disregarded. The same pattern was also noted by [30].
Figure 9 displays the findings from the steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete
V-funnel time test. It should be noted that the V-funnel time increases as the dosage of

Slump Flow Diameter (cm)

79.00
Slump Flow Diameter : cm

77.00
75.5 75.1 74.8
75.00 74.1
74.6
73.00 73.9
73.3
71.00
72.8

69.00
5%SF&15%FLA
67.00

65.00
SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1%) FR-SCC (0.15%) FR-SCC (0.2%)

Fibre Volumetric Fraction

Figure 8. Slump flow diameter of fiber reinforced SCC.

 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 11

V-Funnel Time (sec)

18.00

16.00
V-Funnel Time : sec

13.7 14.1 14.2

14.00 13.2
13.8
12.00
13.1
12.6
11.8
5%SF&15%FLA
10.00 10%SF&15%FLA

8.00
SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1%) FR-SCC (0.15%) FR-SCC (0.2%)

Fibre Volumetric Fraction

Figure 9. V-funnel flow time of fiber reinforced SCC.

steel fibers in SCC is increased. At a dosage of 0.2% steel fibers, the first batch of mixtures
observed a maximum increase of 17%. The second set, however, observed maximum
increase of about 8% at the same steel fiber dosage. Despite the fact that the second set of
mixes contains 5% more silica fume, the parameter only slightly increased. It is caused by
the fineness of silica fume, which, when present in greater amounts, gives the mixture
a smoother texture.

3.1.2 Passing ability of FRSCC

To study the passing ability of steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete, J-ring and
L-box tests were performed. Table 3 provides the results of the J-ring height and L-box
height ratio of selected mixes.
Figures 10 and 11, respectively, compare the test results for the two optimized concrete
mixtures at the three steel fiber dosages. Similar trend for both mixes may be observed
from the figures. The J-ring height and L-box height ratio of the FRSCC were found to be

J-Ring height (mm)

11.00

10.50
J-Ring height : mm

10.00 9.8 9.9

9.7 9.7
9.50
9.4 9.5
9.00 9.3 9.3
5%SF&15%FLA
8.50 10%SF&15%FLA

8.00
SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1%) FR-SCC (0.15%) FR-SCC (0.2%)

Fibre Volumetric Fraction

Figure 10. J-ring height of fiber reinforced SCC.

12 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

L-box height ratio

1.00
L-box height ratio
0.95 0.93
0.92

0.90 0.89 0.92

0.91
0.89
0.86
0.85 5%SF&15%FLA
0.85 10%SF&15%FLA

0.80
SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1%) FR-SCC (0.15%) FR-SCC (0.2%)

Fibre Volumetric Fraction

Figure 11. L-box height ratio of fiber reinforced SCC.

negatively impacted due to addition of steel fibers. Significant resistance to passing ability
is evident from Figures 10 and 11. Although the higher content of silica fume in the
concrete mixes showed better performance of the parameter than mixes with lower
content of silica fume yet the resistance to passing ability is evident. The higher dosage
of silica fume even failed to improve the parameter value in the case of the L-Box test. It is
important to note that all steel fiber dosages recorded for both sets of mixes fell within the
predetermined [35] limits. Thus, it can be stated that slight increase in test results of
mixes with silica fume and fly in comparison to control concrete used in this study has no
appreciable impact on passing ability. Therefore, deviation in the results can be disre­
garded. Hence, both of the parameters are assumed unaffected due to addition of steel
fibers of lower aspect ratio than standard aspect ratio.

3.1.3 Segregation resistance of FRSCC

Table 3 provides the findings of the FRSCC’s resistance to segregation as measured by
V-funnel time at 5 minutes.
Figure 12 displays the outcomes for both mixes for comparison. From the observation
of the results, it may be noted that the addition of steel fibers affects the V-funnel time
after 5 min. Analogous to other parameters the same trend of increase in the parameter
under consideration with respect to the control mix is recorded with an increase in the
dosage of the steel fibers. Maximum values of 14% and 7.5% higher in comparison of
control mix of respective batch are recorded at the highest dosage of steel fibers (0.2%).
However, every value observed during the recording is within the permitted range set
forth by [35].

3.2 Strength properties of FRSCC

Among the key parameters of hardened concrete, compressive strength, splitting tensile
strength and flexural strength are important. These strength characteristics of FRSCC
were evaluated as per the details given in the previous section. Obtained results are
discussed in the following.
 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 13

V-funnel time at 5min (sec)

24.00
V-funnel time at 5min : sec 22.00
20.2
20.00 18.8 19.2
18.3
18.00
16.00 16.8 17.1
16.2
14.00 15
5%SF&15%FLA
12.00
10%SF&15%FLA
10.00
SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1%) FR-SCC (0.15%) FR-SCC (0.2%)

Fibre Volumetric Fraction

Figure 12. V-funnel time at 5 min of fiber reinforced SCC.

Table 4. Strength properties of FRSCC.

Compressive % Difference in Split Tensile % Difference in Flexural % Difference in
Strength CS without Steel Strength TS without Steel Strength FS without Steel
S/No Mixes (MPa) Fibers (MPa) Fibers (MPa) Fibers
1 SCC (5% 62.7 – 5.3 – 6.2 –
SF 15%
FLA)
2 FRSCC 62.1 −0.95 5.2 −1.8 6.5 4.8
(0.1%)
3 FRSCC 61.1 −1.63 5 −5.6 7.2 16
(0.15%)
4 FRSCC 60.3 −3.82 4.9 −7.5 7.3 17.7
(0.2%)
5 SCC (10% 63.4 – 5.5 – 6.7 –
SF 15%
FLA)
6 FRSCC 62.9 −0.78 5.4 −1.8 6.8 1.5
(0.1%)
7 FRSCC 61.8 −2.5 5.1 −7.3 7.3 9
(0.15%)
8 FRSCC 61.2 −3.5 5 −9 7.5 12
(0.2%)

3.2.1 Compressive strength of FRSCC

Table 4 provides the FRSCC’s average compressive strength as well as the percentile
difference
Figure 13 depicts the comparison of average compressive strength of the mixes. It may
be observed from the presented results that the compressive strength slightly decreases
with the addition of steel fibers in both the mixes. As the fibers are mixed in the concrete
randomly this may occur in multiple directional orientations in the hardened concrete.
Since the steel fibers are straight in shape, they occupy a vertical or straight position in the
specimens, which causes premature internal rupture of the concrete when tested for
compressive strength before its ultimate strength is achieved. As a result, the compressive
strength of the concrete was found to be lower than the strength of the corresponding
concrete without fibers. When combined with 5% silica fume and 15% fly ash, the
14 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

65.0 5%SF&15%FLA

Aver a ge C om p r essive St r en gt h : M P a
10%SF&15%FLA
63.0
61.0
59.0
57.0
55.0
53.0
51.0
49.0
47.0
45.0
Controlled SCC SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1% ) FR-SCC (0.15% ) FR-SCC (0.2% )

Fibre Volumetr ic Fr action

Figure 13. Average compressive strength of fiber reinforced SCC.

maximum decrease is recorded equal to 3.78% at 0.2% dosage of steel fibers. The smallest
decline is just 0.66%. It implies that the decrease is extremely slight and could be
disregarded if the SCC benefits from the addition of steel fibers in other areas.
Additionally, it should be noted that the percentile reduction in compressive strength
of both mixes is very close. This demonstrates that change in the dosage of fly ash from
5% to 10% has little impact on compressive strength. The parameters governing strength
are controlled by the steel fiber. The obtained results also showed that, in order to ensure
the least possible reduction in compressive strength of the mixes, the dosage of steel fiber
should be kept as low as possible. Before making a final choice, though, one should also
consider additional advantages of steel fibers.

3.2.2 Splitting tensile strength of FRSCC

Table 4 also lists the test results of the splitting tensile strength of self-compacting
concrete with steel fiber reinforcement along with percentile difference with respective
control concrete mix.
The comparison of test results of splitting tensile strength for both mixes are shown in
Figure 14. An identical trend in the tensile strength of fiber reinforced SCC is seen in the
table and graph. Similar to compressive strength, the addition of fibers also slightly
reduced the split tensile strength of SCC with steel fibers. The reduction ranged from
1.22% to 8.01%. Comparing mixes containing 5% silica fume to those with a higher
dosage (10%), the magnitude of the decrease is greater.
Additionally, the decrease is also observed as the dosage of steel fibers increased. In
light of the above, it is stated that, similar to compressive strength, the dosage of steel
fibers and SF should be kept to a minimum to ensure the least possible reduction in the
split tensile strength of FRSCC. It is important to note that during both tests, the failure
of specimens without fibers was abrupt and violent. The specimens with steel fibers did
not split completely. Steel fibers act as bridge between failure planes (Figure 15) and
 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 15

6.0 5%SF&15%FLA
10%SF&15%FLA
Aver a ge Ten sile St r en gt h : M P a 5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0
Controlled SCC SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1% ) FR-SCC (0.15% ) FR-SCC (0.2% )

Fibre Volumetr ic Fr action

Figure 14. Average split tensile strength of FRSCC.

Figure 15. Pictorial views of specimens after testing.

prevent the specimen from failing suddenly. This suggests a ductile fracture of some kind
and a warning period before the complete failure of high-strength SCC.
Noting that high-strength concrete is thought to be more brittle than regular concrete
is important. Since steel fibers are present in high strength concrete, the strength proper­
ties (compressive strength and tensile strength) are slightly compromised, with ductility
and impending warning possibly emerging as the key parameters.

3.2.3 Flexural strength of FRSCC

Table 4 lists the FRSCC’s flexural strength results along with the percentile difference
with concrete without steel fibers.
The comparison of the flexural strength of both sets of mixes is shown in Figure 16.
Figure 17 displays the deflection in relation to the fiber volumetric fraction.
16 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

5%SF&15%FLA
8.0
10%SF&15%FLA
Average Flexural Strength:MPa
7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0
Controlled SCC SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1%) FR-SCC (0.15%) FR-SCC (0.2%)

Fibre Volumetric Fraction

Figure 16. Average flexural strength of FRSCC.

1.10 5%SF&15%FLA
10%SF&15%FLA
1.05
1.01 1.02
1.00
0.97
0.95 0.94
Deflect ion : m m

0.92
0.90
0.87
0.85
0.82
0.80 0.79
0.75
0.70
0.65
0.60
SCC-CRM FR-SCC (0.1% ) FR-SCC (0.15% ) FR-SCC (0.2% )

Fibre Volumetr ic Fr action

Figure 17. Deflection V/S fiber volumetric fraction of FRSCC.

The table and graphs show that the addition of steel fibers increased both the flexural
strength and deflection. The first parameter contributes positively to the mix, but
the second need to be carefully handled to keep values within the permitted range of
the code used.
With all steel fiber dosages in both mixes, flexural strength is observed higher than
control mix with higher results in mixes containing more silica fume. This demonstrates
that the flexural strength of the concrete is positively impacted by both silica fume and
steel fibers. For mixes containing 5% SF at 0.2% of fibers, the maximum increase in
 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 17

Table 5. Correlation coefficient for different properties.

Property\Mix Mix 1 Mix 2
CC for\Description 5% SF, 15% FA 10% SF, 15% FA
T50 time 1.00 0.88
V-Funnel 0.99 0.99
J-Ring 0.88 0.87
L-Box 1.00 0.99
Compressive Strength −0.96 −0.96
Tensile Strength −0.96 −0.94
Flexural Strength 0.95 0.92

flexural strength is 17.8%. For mixes containing 10% SF, the minimum increase in
flexural strength is 0.7%. The failure mode of SCC specimens due to the presence of
steel fibers was ductile and manifested more deflection.

4. Correlation of properties
Correlation is a statistical measure showing the association of two variables. The degree
of correlation is expressed by correlation coefficient (r). Linear of multi-degree correla­
tion may be performed to check the association of the variables. Based on the outcome of
this research work the linear correlation between steel fiber percentage and different
properties considered in this work is done. For the purpose correlation coefficient is
computed using the formula
P P
ðx �xÞðy �yÞ xy n�x�y
r ¼ qffi�ffiP
ffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi�ffi ¼ (1)
ðx �xÞ2 ðy �yÞ2 ðn 1ÞSDðxÞSDð yÞ

In above expression x represent dosage of steel fibers, y represent property value, �x is

mean value of first variable, �y is mean of second variable, and SD represent standard
deviation. The correlation coefficient obtained for the properties evaluated is given in
Table 5. It may be observed from the table that mix 1 (5% SF and 15% FA) shows better
results than mix 2 (10% SF and 15% FA) except for V-funnel and compressive strength
where both mixes show same correlation between steel fiber dosage and the property
values.

5. Conclusions
From the obtained results of the laboratory investigations for the subject matter the
following are concluded.

(1) The fresh properties (flow properties) of SCC are degraded by the addition of
fibers. The magnitude of the effect, however, is insufficient (less than 10%) to
qualify as a major factor.
(2) It is also observed that the fresh properties deteriorate more at higher concentra­
tions of steel fibers and silica fume. This implies that while producing SCC using
silica fume and steel fibers, care should be taken to avoid unnecessary increase in
the dosage of silica fume and steel fibers. It is further observed that all of the fresh
18 M. A. MEMON ET AL.

property values for both mixtures at each steel fiber dosage fall within the standard
ranges provided by EFNARC.
(3) Addition of steel fibers resulted in decrease in compressive strength of both mixes
considered. First mix (5% silica fume and 15% fly ash) showed maximum decrease
of 3.78% at 0.2% steel fibers. The smallest decline is 0.66%. It implies that the
decrease is extremely slight (less than 5%) and could be disregarded if the SCC
benefits from the addition of steel fibers in other areas.
(4) With reference to compressive strength lower dosage of steel fibers performs
better than higher dosages.
(5) Tensile strength of the concrete followed similar trend as of compressive strength
with decrease in the strength from 1.22% to 8.01%. The decrease was more
significant with second mix.
(6) Steel fibers in concrete act as locking medium resulting in some sort of ductile
fracture and impending warning time before the complete failure of high-strength
SCC.
(7) Flexural strength of SCC observed increase due to the addition of steel fibers. The
increase was more in first mix (5% SF) than second (15% SF). The same is also
evident from correlation coefficient computation. The increase was prominent at
0.15% of steel fibers. The maximum increase was recorded equal to 17.8% in first
mix at 0.2% dosage of fibers. Whereas the minimum value of the parameter was
equal to 0.7% for second mix at 0.1% dosage of steel fibers.

Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support provided by Quaid-e-Awam
University of Engineering, Science & Technology, Sindh, Pakistan.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Funding
No funds, grants, or other support was received.

Data availability statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author
upon request.

Declarations ethics approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of
the authors.
 COMPOSITE INTERFACES 19

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