Angela Graeff - Research Student

Telephone: 25795
Room: E110

email : a.graeff@sheffield.ac.uk

Research Group

Research Project

Durability of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete

This project aims to investigate the durability of steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) and SFR-RCC (roller compacted concrete) when exposed to corrosion and freezing and thawing cycles. In addition, shrinkage behaviour and resistance to fatigue are also analysed.

The tensile strength of concrete is always a lot less than the compressive strength and steel reinforcement and steel fibres are used to enhance the concrete tensile resistance. Fibre reinforcement can solve these problems as well as enhance the fatigue and toughness resistance of concrete.

Both industrialized and recycled steel fibres are used in the experiments. The first are considerably more expensive due to the large amount required to achieve the same performance as conventional concrete reinforcement. As an alternative, the use of steel from post-consumer tyres seems to be promising for this type of application.

Corrosion resistance of fibres is evaluated by wet-dry cycles of immersion in salt solution followed by a period of dryness. Specimens are exposed to both 5 and 10 months of continuous cycles and the results are based on their mechanical performance prior and after the condition regime.

Freeze-thaw effects in SFRC are analysed by exposing specimens to continuous freezing and thawing cycles, with temperatures ranging from 20 to -15ºC in each cycle, for a total of 56 cycles.

Specific methodology is used to evaluate the performance of shrinkage and fatigue behaviour.

This PhD programme is sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Education – through CAPES Foundation. It is also a collaboration with the Ecolanes project - an European Union project that aims to develop infrastructure for surface transport using slip forming and roller compaction techniques based on steel fibre reinforced concrete. The main targets of the project are to lower construction costs, reduce construction time and improve its energy efficiency. It is also expected to be achieved reduction of road maintenance costs and make tyre recycling more economically attractive with the use of its recycled fibres.