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SHEAR STRENGTH OF FIBROUS CONCRETE

BEAMS WITHOUT STIRRUPS
By M. A. Mansur, 1 M. ASCE, K. C. G. Ong, 2 and P. Paramasivam 2
ABSTRACT: Test data are presented on the shear strength of a series of longitudinally reinforced fibrous concrete beams in which the shear span-to-effective
depth ratio, volume fraction of fibers, percentage of reinforcement, and strength
of the concrete were varied. Test results indicate that the fibers have significant
influence on the mode of failure and ultimate shear strength of a longitudinally
reinforced concrete beam. Conventional reinforced concrete analyses with some
modification, as suggested in this paper, to account for the effect of fibers give
good predictions of the ultimate strength and the mode of failure for rectangular beams with no shear reinforcement.
INTRODUCTION

It has been well established that the use of discrete fibers of short
length a n d small diameter as reinforcement improves the strength and
deformation characteristics of Portland cement-based matrices. Various
analytical and empirical models are n o w available in the literature
(5,6,9,11,12,14-16,18,19) to predict the strength of the composite reinforced with fibers alone in tension, compression, bending, torsion, a n d
in combined loading. The ACI Committee 544 has given a comprehensive account of the development in fiber-reinforced cement composites
in its recent state-of-the-art report (2).
Most of the properties of fibrous concrete can be used to enhance the
behavior of concrete members reinforced with conventional bar reinforcement. Investigations conducted in recent years (7,17) have s h o w n
that the use of discrete fibers substantially increases the strength, stiffness, and ductility, a n d preserves the structural integrity past the ultimate failure load of a conventional reinforced concrete member. Fibers
can also be used either to boost the shear capacity or to replace, in part,
the vertical stirrups in conventional reinforced concrete structural m e m bers. This will relieve reinforcement congestion at critical sections such
as beam-column junctions. However, test data available on the reinforcing effect of fibers in structural members failing in shear are rather
limited (4,8).
An experimental program was therefore conducted to study the effectiveness of steel fibers as w e b reinforcement in concrete beams containing longitudinal bar reinforcement only. It consisted of testing 24
simply supported beams u n d e r two symmetrical point loads. The major
parameters of the study were the volume fraction of fibers, shear span'Sr. Lect., Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Natl. Univ. of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore 0511.
2
Lect., Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Natl. Univ. of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore
0511.
'Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Natl. Univ. of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore 0511.
Note.Discussion open until February 1, 1987. To extend the closing date one
month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Manager of Journals. The
manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and possible publication on
July 18, 1985. This paper is part of the Journal of Structural Engineering, Vol.
112, No. 9, September, 1986. ASCE, ISSN 0733-9445/86/0009-2066/$01.00. Paper No. 20895.
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to-effective depth ratio, percentage of longitudinal bar reinforcement, and

compressive strength of the concrete. The results of these tests are presented and discussed in this paper. Test results of these tests are presented and discussed in this paper. Test results indicate that the fibers
have significant influence on the mode of failure and ultimate shear
strength of a longitudinally reinforced concrete beam.
TEST PROGRAM

A total of 24 beams were tested. All beams were of rectangular cross

section, 150 mm (6 in.) wide and 225 mm (9 in.) deep. Two different
lengths, 2 m (6 ft 7 in.) and 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in.), were employed in order
to obtain the desired shear span-to-effective depth (aId) ratio. The beams
were provided only with longitudinal bar reinforcement. As can be seen
in Fig. 1, the longitudinal bars were welded to a steel plate at each end
to maintain the desired concrete cover and to prevent a premature anchorage failure.
Tables 1 and 2 give details of the test program. The test beams were
divided into six series designated as A to F. The fiber volume fractions
for the series A, B, C, and D were 0, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.00%, respectively,
but the same concrete grade of cylinder compressive strength, f'c = 25
MPa (3.62 ksi) was used. In each of these series, the aid ratio was varied
from 2.0 to 4.4 at increments of 0.8. The amount of continuous bar reinforcement was held constant (2Y16), except for the beams C5 and C6
(Table 2). The longitudinal reinforcements for C5 and C6 consisted, respectively, of 3 10-mm (3/8-in.) and 3 16-mm (5/8-in.) diameter bars,
and these beams were tested at an a/d ratio of 2.8.
The design cylinder compressive strengths of the concrete for the series E and F were -20 MPa (2.90 ksi) and 30 MPa (4.35 ksi), respectively.
In each series, the a/d ratio was kept at 2.8 and the volume fraction of
fibers at 0.75%, but the amount of longitudinal reinforcement was varied.

h Shear

span,a

P/2
.
T

T-

.^Steel
plate
*
(1507010 mm)

/\

Span , L
2 m or 2.5 r
(a) Longitudinal section

150mm,
225

200mm
9 & i

'-3-10mm^

/) = 0.79V.

197 mm

197 mm

-2-16 m m /

@ &
jo - 1.34V.

^3-16 m m /
p -- 2.00V.

(b) Cross-section of various beams

FIG. 1.Details of Test Specimens (1 in. = 25.4 mm)

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TABLE 1.Properties of Concrete

Mix
Cylinder Cylinder
Moducomtensile
proportions
Volume
Water- fraction
pressive splitting
lus of
(cement:
Beam sand .-coarse cement of fiber, Slump strength, strength, rupture,
series aggregate)
U (MPa) /, (MPa)
ratio
V, (%) (mm)
(8)
(7)
(4)
(2)
(6)
(3)
(5)
(D
A
B
C
D
E
F

1:2.80:2.60

0
0.62

1:3.84:3.01
1:2.32:2.06

0.70
0.48

0
0.50
0.75
1.00
0.75
0.75

90
65
50
26
55
55

24.2
29.1
29.9
30.0
20.6
33.4

2.61
2.67
2.88
3.36
2.17
3.63

3.76
3.78
4.03
4.58
3.53
4.00

Direct Tensile
Strength,

U (MPa)
Ultimate
(9)

Residual
(10)

2.14
2.22
2.30
2.56
1.80
2.60

0.00
0.53
0.68
0.83
0.66
0.92

Note: 1 in. = 25.4 mm; 1 psi = 6.89 kPa.

TABLE 2.Beams Details and Summary of Test Results

V
Mode of
failure
Va (kN)
Vu (kN)
va
(6)
(7)
(8)
(5)
2.00
30.0
60.0
S.P.
26.3
45.0
1.71
S.P.
25.0
38.5
1.54
D.T.
22.5
33.8
1.50
D.T.
1.34
0.50
32.5
75.0
2.31
S.C.
28.8
52.5
1.82
S.C.
45.0
1.71
D.T.
26.3
23.8
38.0
1.47
F
85.0
2.43
1.34
0.75
35.0
S.C.
29.0
60.0
2.07
S.C.
47.5
1.73
F
27.5
23.8
41.0
1.72
F
37.5
1.58
F
0.79
0.75
23.8
2.00
32.5
65.0
2.00
S.C.
93.0
2.53
F
1.34
1.00
37.5
65.0
1.97
F
33.0
50.5
1.67
F
30.3
44.0
1.76
F
25.0
35.0
1.75
F
0.79
0.75
20.0
1.34
45.0
1.80
S.C.
25.0
2.00
60.0
2.18
S.C.
27.5
2.8
0.79
0.75
25.0
46.8
1.87
F
1.34
75.0
2.42
F
31.0
2.00
86.0
2.29
S.C.
37.5
Note: S.P. = shear proper failure; D.T. = diagonal tension failure; S.C. = shear
compression failure; F = flexural failure; 1 kip = 4.448 kN.
a

Beam
(1)
Al
A2
A3
A4
Bl
B2
B3
B4
CI
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
Dl
D2
D3
D4
El
E2
E3
Fl
F2
F3

d
(2)
2.0
2.8
3.6
4.4
2.0
2.8
3.6
4.4
2.0
2.8
3.6
4.4
2.8
2.8
2.0
2.8
3.6
4.4
2.8

P (%)
(3)
1.34

V, (%)
(4)
0

High-yield deformed bars of 10 m m (3/8 in.) a n d 16 m m (5/8 in.) nominal diameter were used as longitudinal reinforcement. Tensile tests were
conducted on three representative samples of each bar size. The forces
at 0.2% permanent strain were 35.1 k N (7.89 kips) and 93.0 k N (20.91
kips) for the 10-mm a n d 16-mm diameter bars, respectively.
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Fibers with hooked ends were used throughout the test program. They
were glued together into bundles. The length and diameter of fibers employed for the current tests were 30 mm (1.25 in.) and 0.5 mm (0.02 in.),
respectively, and the ultimate tensile strength of individual fiber was
1,260 N/mm 2 (183 ksi).
The concrete mix was made with ordinary Portland cement, natural
sand, and crushed granite of 20 mm (3/8 in.) maximum size. The mix
proportions for the design concrete grades 20, 25, and 30 were 1:3.84:3.01,
1:2.80:2.60, and 1:2.32:2.06, the respective water-cement ratios being
0.70, 0.62, and 0.48. An admixture commercially known as "Rapidard"
was used in prescribed doses to obtain the 28-day strength in 7 days.
Mixing of the constituents was done in a rotary mixer in which cement, sand, and coarse aggregates were first thoroughly mixed. The required amounts of water and admixture were then added. After about
2 min of initial mixing, the fibers were gradually spread over the fresh
concrete and mixing continued until a homogeneous mix was obtained.
The beams were cast in a group of three. Adequate compaction was
achieved by using a poker vibrator. Three 102-mm (4-in.) cubes, three
152 X 305 mm (6 x 12 in.) cylinders and three 102 X 102 x 508 mm (4
X 4 x 20 in.) prisms were prepared from each mix to determine the
compressive strength, split-cylinder strength, and modulus of rupture
of the composite in addition to the specimens for direct tension tests as
shown in Fig. 2. The test and control specimens were demolded after

100

75
,

,i

-,50f

250mm

,. 5 0u, - 7 5 -

|70mm

100

Tensile specimen

FIG. 2.Dimensions of Specimens for Direct Tension Tests (1 in. = 25.4 mm)

FIG. 3.Setup for Direct Tension Tests

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24 hrs and then cured for 5 days under damp hessian. At the end of
the curing period, the specimens were allowed to dry for at least 24 hrs
before testing.
Direct tension tests were conducted in an Instron testing machine by
using a pair of special grips designed to maintain true axial loading (Fig.
3). A constant strain rate of 0.125 mm/min (0.005 in./min) was used.
The extension of the specimens over a gage length of 200 mm (8 in.)
was monitored by means of four linear variable displacement transducers (LVDT) fixed symmetrically on a pair of square yokes mounted
on the test specimens, as shown in Fig. 3. The compression, splitting
cylinder, and flexural tests on control specimens were conducted according to the standard methods. The properties of the composite at the
time of beam tests are recorded in Table 1.
The beams were supported on a simple span and were tested under
two symmetrical point loads. The span and the loading positions were
varied to obtain the desired a/d ratio. Dial gages were used to measure
the deflections at the loading points and at midspan of the beam.
The beams were initially exercised under a small amount of load. The
load was then applied in small increments. After each increment, deflection readings were taken and all the surface cracks were carefully
marked. The mode of failure was identified after final collapse.
TEST RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

Modes of Failure.The typical modes of failure observed in the current tests are shown in Fig. 4. They are classified into four categories:
shear proper, shear compression, diagonal tension, and flexure. These
types of failure for reinforced concrete beams are well known and have
been amply described elsewhere (3,10,13). The modes of failure as identified for various beams are presented in Table 2.
It can be seen from Table 2 that the beams in series A that contained
no fibers failed in shear for all a/d ratios (2.0 to 4.4) used in the current
study. Inclusion of short fibers in the concrete mix tends to change the
failure mode from shear to flexure for higher values of a/d. It may be
recalled that the B and C series contained, respectively, 0.5% and 0.75%
of fibers. Table 2 shows that the beam B4 with a/d ratio of 4.4 and the
beams C3 and C4 with a/d ratios of 3.6 and 4.4, respectively, failed in
the flexural mode. In the case of series D (Vf = 1%), all the beams failed

FIG. 4.Typical Modes of Failure: (a) Shear Proper; (b) Shear Compression; (c)
Diagonal Tension; and (of) Flexure
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"- .

/
f

0-50

Flexural failure

\
t

Shear failure
0-25

\
\

Shear failure mode

o Flexural failure mode

p - 1-34%
0

Ji

1i

2-0

4
2-8

\
<>
3-6

4-4

a/d

FIG. 5.Observed Failure Modes for Beams in Series A to D with p = 1.34%

in flexure irrespective of the a/d ratio. Thus, keeping other factors constant, an increase in the fiber content increases the shear resistance more
than the corresponding increase in the bending strength of a beam, and
hence, changes the failure mode from shear to flexure. It may also be
observed from Table 2 that for a particular volume fraction of fibers, the
mode of failure changes from shear proper to shear compression and
then to diagonal tension and flexure when a/d ratio is increased.
In order to investigate the effect of fiber volume fraction on the critical
a/d ratio for shear failure, the results of series A to D with p = 1.34%
are plotted in Fig. 5. The dotted line approximately delineates shear and
flexural modes of failure. It can be seen that the critical a/d ratio required
to induce a shear mode of failure decreases as the volume fraction of
fibers is increased.
The influence of the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, p, on failure modes
can be noted from the results of the beams C5, C2, and C6. Higher values of p induce shear failure because longitudinal bar reinforcement contributes more to the bending than to the shear resistance of a beam. This
observation is also confirmed by the result of the beams in series E
and F.
Similar to the effect of fibers, higher concrete strength increases the
shear resistance more than the corresponding increase in the bending
moment capacity. Series E, C, and F contained the same volume fraction
of fibers (Vf = 0.75%), but had concrete strengths f'c of 20.6, 29.9, and
33.4 MPa (2.99, 4.34, and 4.84 ksi), respectively. For a constant a/d ratio
of 2.8 and a fixed steel ratio, p, of 1.34%, beams E2 and C2 failed in
shear, but F2 failed in the flexural mode.
Observed Shear Resistance.The magnitudes of transverse shear at
diagonal cracking and ultimate loads are summarized in Table 2. Diagonal cracking strength is defined here as the shear force at which inclined cracks formed within the shear span traverse the centroidal axis
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100
V, (/.)

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20

60

40

o
Diagonal

"^
f

Ultimate

1 . 3 4 %

(W

(a)
2.8

cracking

3.6

i.i

Ml- 1

a / d

0.5

V, ( V . )

FIG. 6.Influence of: (a) a/d Ratio; and (b) Fiber Volume Fraction, Vf, on Shear
Resistance (1 kip = 4.448 kN; 1 psi = 6.89 kPa)

l/>

40

Diagonal cracking
Ultimate
(W
25

30
f: (MPa)

FIG. 7.Influence of: (a) Longitudinal Steel Ratio, p; and (b) Concrete Strength,
/ ; , on Shear Resistance (1 kip = 4.448 kN; 1 psi = 6.89 kPa)

of the beam. It can be observed that all the beams had substantial reserve strength after the formation of diagonal cracks. The ratio of ultimate shear, Vu, to cracking shear, Va, ranges from 1.47 to 2.53.
The influence of various parameters on shear resistance of the beams
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are presented in Figs. 6 and 7. It can be seen that the values of both V
and Vu increase either with a decrease in the a/d ratio [Fig. 6(a)] or with
an increase in the volume fraction of fibers, Vf [Fig. 6(b)]. While the increase in Vct was only marginal, Vu increased substantially, especially at
low values of a/d and at a higher volume fraction of fibers. When compared with the corresponding beams without fibers but with the same
values of p and a/d, the fibrous concrete beams exhibited an increase in
Va from 5.8% to 25%. The corresponding increase in Vu ranged from
6% to 55%. A higher increase in V suggests that the fibers act as web
reinforcement and contribute to the post-cracking strength of the beams.
It should be mentioned here that the increase in Vu depends also on the
shape, length, and aspect ratio of the fibers. However, only one particular type of fiber was used in the current study.
The shear resistance of the beams also increased as the longitudinal
steel ratio, p, and the concrete grade were increased. As can be seen in
Fig. 7(a) and (b), a substantial increase occurred for Vu at larger values
of p and for higher concrete grade.
Ultimate Strength Prediction.Shear in reinforced concrete is a complex problem that has so far defied purely analytical prediction. As a
result, the concepts that underline current design practice are based partly
on rational analysis, partly on test evidence, and partly on successful
long-term experience with satisfactory structural performance.
The available design methods had been developed primarily by considering equilibirum of forces through a diagonal crack, as shown in Fig.
8. The external shear, V, is considered to be resisted by: (1) The concrete
compression zone, V^; (2) aggregate interlock action, Va; (3) dowel action of longitudinal bars, Vd; and (4) web reinforcement, Vs. The equilibrium of forces in the vertical direction, y, gives

v= vaj + vay + vd + vsy

(i)

Since the individual contributions from each of the first three internal
shear components are difficult to estimate, they are commonly lumped
together and denoted by Vc, the contribution of the concrete. Thus
V = Vc + Vsy

(2)

The available methods of design differ primarily in the computation

of Vc, which is assumed to be equal to the shear at diagonal cracking,

Tv
FIG. 8.Forces at Diagonal Crack of Reinforced Concrete Beam
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According to the ACI Building Code (1), Vc is a function of the longitudinal tensile steel ratio p, the compressive strength of the concrete
fc, and the moment-to-shear ratio. Based on the proposals of ACI-ASCE
Committee 426 on Shear and Diagonal Tension (3), the following formula in SI units is recommended for computing the diagonal tension
cracking load (shear strength) of beams without web reinforcement:

Vc = (0.16 Vfc + 17.2 J bd > (0.29 Vfl) bd

(3)

in which V/M is the ratio of external shear to moment at the section

considered, and b and d are the width and effective depth of the beam,
respectively.
In the current study, fibrous concrete was used. If it is assumed that
inclusion of short steel fibers in the concrete affects Vc in the same way
as it influences the concrete strength fc, then Eq. 3 should also be applicable to fibrous concrete beams. In order to study the validity of this
assumption, the diagonal cracking strengths for the test beams are computed by Eq. 3 using the actual concrete strength, fc.
The critical section for the application of this formula is assumed to
be at midpoint of the shear span for shear spans shorter than or equal
to two effective beam depths, and at a distance of one effective depth
from the section of maximum moment for shear spans longer than two
effective beam depths. These two conditions give the following expressions for the ratio of moment to shear at the critical section for the simply supported beams subjected to two symmetrical point loads:
M Mmax
=
V

a
2

when

a < 2d

10

(4)w

20
Calculated

30

40

50

Vcr(kN)

FIG. 9.-Comparison of Experimental V with AC! Code (1) (1 kip = 4.448 kN)
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M = Mmax
d when
V
V

a > Id .

(5)

The diagonal cracking strengths of beams computed by the ACI-ASCE

formula (Eq. 3) are presented and compared with the corresponding observed values in Fig. 9. It can be seen that the results are scattered around
the unit line. However, with a load factor of 0.85 as recommended in
the code (1), Eq. 3 gives safe predictions of the diagonal cracking strengths
for all the beams.
It has been stated previously that the test beams possess a substantial
reserve strength after diagonal cracking. Fibers intercepted by the crack
might have augmented the post-cracking shear resistance of the beams.
In order to calculate the ultimate strength of the beams in shear, it is
necessary to study the stress-strain characteristics of fibrous concrete in
direct tension. The shape of a typical stress-strain curve in direct tension
obtained in this study is shown in Fig. 10. Similar curves were also found
by previous investigators (6,14,17). It can be seen that the stress level
suddenly drops at the initiation of cracking. The experimental curve shown
as a dotted line can be idealized by a solid curve as shown in Fig. 10.
The residual stress, atu, i.e., the stress after the drop has taken place,
depends, among many factors, on length, volume fraction, shape and
200 mm GAGE LENGTH

/
EXPERIMENTAL
I0EALIZED

1.5

V, = 0.75 /.
fc' = 293 Mfh

"o Q

0.5 J

6\u=068MFh

AVERAGE

STRAIN (X !0"'mm/mm)

FIG. 10.Typical and Idealized Stress-Strain Curve for Fibrous Concrete in Direct
Tension

FIG. 11.Forces at Diagonal Crack in Fibrous Concrete Beams without Stirrups

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surface characteristics of the fibers, the maximum aggregate size, and

the properties of the concrete. Several methods are reported in the literature (6,14,17,19) to calculate the residual stress provided the fiber and
concrete properties are known. After crack formation, the stress acting
through the crack may be assumed to be uniform and equal to CJ,.
Consider now the forces acting at a diagonal crack in fibrous concrete
beams without transverse stirrups. As shown in Fig. 11, the stress aiu
contributes to the shear resistance of a beam in addition to V^, Va, and
Vd. Assuming a 45 diagonal crack with its horizontal projection equal
to the effective depth, d, of the beam, Eq. 2 can be rewritten for the
ultimate shear capacity as
Vu = Vc + <jlubd

(6)

Eq. 6 is used to compute the shear capacities of the beams tested in this
program, in which Vc is given by Eq. 3 without any load factor. The
experimental values of <r, as recorded in Table 1 for various concrete
mixes at an average strain value of 3 X 1CT4 mm/mm have been used
because of the lack of information on bond characteristics of the fibers
that are necessary to apply the available analytical models. Provided the
bond characteristics are known, the writers recommend the method described in Ref. 17 to calculate <r,. Similarly, flexural analysis has been
carried out by the method of equilibrium and strain compatibility in accordance with the ACI Code (1). The effect of fibers was taken into account by the idealized tensile stress block of average stress <J,U as shown
in Fig. 12.
The calculated moment and shear capacities of the beams are compared with the corresponding experimental values at ultimate load in
Cols. 4 and 7, respectively, of Table 3. It can be seen that the ratio of
the shear at ultimate load to calculated shear strength decreases as the
a/d ratio is increased (see Table 2). In case of bending moment the trend
is reversed, i.e., the ratio of the maximum moment at ultimate load to
computed moment capacity increases with increasing a/d ratio. If for a
particular beam, the higher of the two ratios governs the failure, then
there is a certain a/d ratio above which flexural mode takes over from
shear mode of failure. The critical a/d ratio at which this transition takes
place depends on fiber volume fraction, amount of longitudinal reinforcement, and compressive strength of the concrete.
=0.85fc

/Sic/2

N.A.
F,.<y><h-e)
* F S =A s f s t

Section

Strains

Stresses

Forces

FIG. 12.-Assumed Conditions at Collapse of Fibrous Concrete Beams in Flexure

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TABLE 3.Comparison of Test Data with Computed Values

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Moment at Failui e (kNm)

Beam
(1)
Al
A2
A3
A4
Bl
B2
B3
B4
CI
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6
Dl
D2
D3
D4
El
E2
E3
Fl
F2
F3

Experimental
(2)
23.64
24.82
27.30
29.30
29.55
28.96
31.91
32.94
33.49
33.10
33.69
35.54
24.36
35.54
36.62
35.85
35.82
38.14
23.52
24.82
33.10
26.20
41.37
47.44

Predicted
(3)
31.04

33.17

33.66

21.54
45.92
33.99

20.58
31.18
38.62
22.44
34.77
47.51

Col. 2/
Col. 3
(4)
0.76
0.80
0.88
0.94
0.89
0.87
0.96
0.99
0.99
0.98
1.00
1.06
1.13
0.77
1.08
1.05
1.05
1.12
1.14
0.80
0.86
1.17
1.19
1.00

Shear at Failure (kN)

Experimental
(5)
60.0
45.0
38.5
33.8
75.0
52.5
45.0
38.0
85.0
60.0
47.5
41.0
43.5
65.0
93.0
65.0
50.5
44.0
42.0
45.0
60.0
46.8
75.0
86.0

Predicted
(6)
30.07
27.07
25.88
25.26
47.97
44.94
43.78
43.16
52.75
49.72
48.56
47.94
48.51
51.07
57.24
54.21
53.05
52.43
43.52
44.74
45.99
57.18
58.29
59.64

Col. 5/
Col. 6
(7)
2.00
1.66
1.49
1.34
1.56
1.17
1.03
0.88
1.61
1.21
0.98
0.86
0.90
1.27
1.62
1.20
0.95
0.84
0.97
1.01
1.31
0.82
1.29
1.44

Mode of Failure
Experimental
(8)
S

Predicted
(9)
S

s
s
s
s
s
sF

s
s
s
s
s
s

S
S
F
F
F
S
F
F
F
F
F
S
S
F
F
S

F
S
S
F
F
F
S
S-F
S-F
F
F
F
S
S
F
S-F
S-F

Note: S = shear failure; F = flexural failure; 1 kip = 4.448 kN; 1 ft-kip = 1.356
kNm.
It can be seen from Table 3 that the predicted modes of failure are in
good agreement with the observed failure modes. The ultimate moments of the beams that failed in flexure are also predicted with a reasonable degree of accuracy. But, in case of beams that failed in shear,
good correlation between the experimental and computed strengths exists only when the a/d ratio is relatively large. Similar to conventional
reinforced concrete beams, short shear spans enhanced the shear capacity of fibrous concrete beams and consequently the predicted values
are highly conservative.
CONCLUSIONS

The following conclusions can be drawn from the investigation reported in this paper:
1. Inclusion of short steel fibers in the concrete mix provides effective
shear reinforcement and tends to change the mode of failure from shear
to flexure.
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2. The critical a/d ratio required to induce shear failure decreases with
increasing fiber content.
3. Shear strength increases with increasing fiber content and decreasing a/d ratio. For a particular volume fraction of fibers, the rate of increase in shear strength is higher at low values of a/d.
4. The American Concrete Institute Building Code provides safe predictions for the diagonal cracking strength of beams reinforced with bars
and steel fibers.
5. Conventional reinforced concrete analyses for bending as well as
for shear, in which the effect of fibers are included by considering a
uniform stress block of average stress, artu, along the tension crack as
described in this paper, provide good predictions of the ultimate strength
and the mode of failure. However, for beams with short shear spans,
the predicted shear capacities are highly conservative.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The work reported in this paper was supported by the RDAS Project
C/81/01 with funds given by the Ministry of Trade a n d Industry, a n d
administered by the Science Council of Singapore.
APPENDIX I.REFERENCES

1. ACI Committee 318, "Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete

(ACI 318-83)," American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Mich., 1983.
2. ACI Committee 544, "State-of-the-Art Report on Fiber Reinforced Concrete,"
Concrete International: Design and Construction, Vol. 4, No. 5, May, 1982, pp.
9-29.
3. ACI-ASCE Committee 426, "The Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete
Members," Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 99, No. ST6, June,
1973, pp. 1091-1187.
4. Batson, G., Jenkins, E., and Spatney, R., "Steel Fiber as Shear Reinforcement
in Beams," Journal of the American Concrete Institute, Vol. 69, No. 10, Oct.,
1972, pp. 640-644.
5. Birkimer, D. L., and Hossley, J. R., "Comparison of Static and Dynamic Behavior of Plain and Fibrous-Reinforced Concrete Cylinders," Technical Report
No. 4-69, U.S. Corps of Engineers Ohio River Division Laboratories, Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec, 1969, 91 pp.
6. Hannat, D. J., Fiber Cements and Fiber Concretes, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, England, 1978, 219 pp.
7. Henager, C. H., and Doherty, T. J., "Analysis of Reinforced Fibrous Concrete Beams," Journal of the Structural Division, ASCE, Vol. 102, No. ST1, Jan.,
1976, pp. 177-188.
8. Jindal, R. L., "Shear and Moment Capacities of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams," Fiber Reinforced Concrete, SP-81, American Concrete Institute,
Detroit, Mich., 1984, pp. 1-16.
9. Johnston, C. D., and Coleman, R. A., "Strength and Deformation of Steel
Fiber Reinforced Mortar in Uniaxial Tension," Fiber Reinforced Concrete, SP44, American Concrete Institute, Detroit, Mich., 1974, pp. 127-142.
10. Kotsovos, M. D., "Mechanisms of Shear Failure," Magazine of Concrete Research, London, England, Vol. 35, No. 123, June, 1983, pp. 99-106.
11. Mansur, M. A., "Bending-Torsion Interaction for Concrete Beams Reinforced
with Steel Fibers," Magazine of Concrete Research, London, England, Vol. 34,
No. 121, Dec, 1982, pp. 182-190.
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12. Mansur, M. A., and Paramasivam, P., "Fiber Reinforced Concrete Beams in
Torsion, Bending and Shear," Journal of the American Concrete Institute, Vol.
82, No. 1, Jan./Feb., 1985, pp. 33-39.
13. Mathey, R. C , and Watstein, D., "Shear Strength of Beams without Web
Reinforcement Containing Deformed Bars of Different Yield Strength," Journal of the American Concrete Institute, Vol. 60, No. 2, Feb., 1963, pp. 183-206.
14. Naaman, A. E., and Moavenzadeh, F., "Probabilistic Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete," Journal of the Engineering Mechanics Division, ASCE, Vol.
100, No. EM2, Apr., 1974, pp. 397-413.
15. Shah, S. P., and Naaman, A. E., "Mechanical Properties of Glass and Steel
Fiber Reinforced Mortar," Journal of the American Concrete Institute, Vol. 73,
No. 1, Jan., 1976, pp. 50-53.
16. Swamy, R. N., and Mangat, P. S., "A Theory for the Flexural Strength of
Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete," Cement and Concrete Research, Vol. 4, No.
2, Mar., 1974, pp. 313-325.
17. Swamy, R. N., and Al-Taan, S. A., "Deformation and Ultimate Strength in
Flexure of Reinforced Concrete Beams Made with Steel Fiber Concrete," Journal of the American Concrete Institute, Vol. 78, No. 5, Sept./Oct., 1981, pp.
395-405.
18. Sydner, M. J., and Lankard, D. R., "Factors Affecting Cracking Strength of
Steel Fibrous Concrete," Journal of the American Concrete Institute, Vol. 69, No.
2, Feb., 1972, pp. 96-100.
19. Visalvanich, K., and Naaman, A. E., "Fracture Model for Fiber Reinforced
Concrete," Journal of the American Concrete Institute, Vol. 80, No. 4, July/Aug.,
1983, pp. 128-138.
APPENDIX II.NOTATION

The following symbols are used in this paper:

As =
a =
b =
c =
d =
tt =
=
M =
V =
va =
va =
vc =
Vcy =
vd =
Vf =
Vu =
3x =
es =
P =
=
C||<

area of longitudinal tension reinforcement;

shear span;
width of beam;
distance from extreme compression fiber to neutral axis;
effective depth of beam;
cylinder compressive strength of concrete;
stress in longitudinal reinforcement;
bending moment;
shear force;
diagonal cracking strength;
shear resistance due to aggregate interlock action;
shear resistance of the concrete;
shear resistance of concrete compression zone;
shear resistance due to dowel action;
volume fraction of fibers;
ultimate shear;
factor defining equivalent concrete stress block;
strain in longitudinal reinforcement;
Ajbd; and
residual stress of fibrous concrete in tension.

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