High-Strength Concrete Beams Submitted to Shear: Steel Fibers Versus Stirrups

Abstract

The use of steel fibers as shear reinforcement in reinforced concrete beams is very promising. In this paper, an optimized high strength concrete with steel fibers is used in rectangular beams, reinforced with longitudinal bars. This solution is compared with classical reinforced concrete. Five specimens are tested in four-point bending. The 28-day mean compressive strength of concrete is 90 MPa measured on cylinders. The global behavior of the beams is the same for both solutions. The load at the onset of cracking is equal for all tested beams but the crack opening is smaller with steel fibers. No problems were encountered concerning ductility.