Analysis of steel fiber-reinforced concrete elements subjected to shear

In this paper, a rational analysis procedure is presented for modeling the shear behavior of steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) elements. In the development of the analysis procedure, the Disturbed Stress Field Model (DSFM), based on the Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT), is modified by implementing constitutive models for SFRC, which are derived from the Diverse Embedment Model (DEM). For the contribution of steel fibers, a local stiffness matrix for fibers has been developed separately from those for concrete matrix and conventional reinforcement. The composite element stiffness matrix for an SFRC element with conventional reinforcement is then derived by superposing the three local stiffness matrixes. In the element stiffness matrix, the effect of shear slip at a crack is also taken into account by considering the resistance due to steel fibers against shear stress on crack surface. Through comparisons with the test results of SFRC panels previously reported in the literature, it is shown that the actual shear behavior of SFRC panels are accurately predicted by the proposed analysis procedure, not only for the shear strength but also for the shear strain at the failure. Through implementation into finite element analysis programs, the analysis procedure developed in this paper can be useful in the modeling of SFRC members and structures also containing conventional reinforcement.