Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete under Cyclic Loading

Abstract

Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) is a novel cementitious material with enhanced strength in tension and compression and significantly high energy absorption in the post-cracking region. The application of UHPFRC for the earthquake strengthening of existing structures could considerably improve the performance of existing structures due to its superior properties. There are published studies where the direct tensile and the flexural behavior of UHPFRC have been investigated and the superior tensile strength and post-crack energy absorption have been highlighted. However, there are not any published studies on the performance of UHPFRC under cyclic loading. In this paper, the results of an extensive experimental program on UHPFRC under direct tensile cyclic loading are presented and a constitutive model for the response of UHPFRC under cyclic loading is proposed. The accuracy of the proposed model is validated using experimental results from various loading histories and for different percentages of fibers, and the reliability of the proposed model is highlighted.