Compressive stress-strain relationship of steel fibre-reinforced concrete at early age

This article presents some comparative results from a continuing study of the properties of steel fibre-reinforced concrete/shotcrete (SFRC/S) at early age. The overall aim of the investigation is to develop the SFRC for applications in tunnels and in other underground constructions. The impact and bending properties bath for beams and for panels of SFRC have been analysed in extensive experiments, but the compressive behaviour of SFRC/S, especially at early ages, has been disregarded. In this article, the effect of steel fibres in influencing the compressive strength, the duration for the peak load and the energy absorption under uniaxial compressive loading at the early ages has been studied. The results of experimental investigations on the behaviour of SFRC and plain concrete under compressive load at early ages are presented. The parameters of the study were: fibre content, age of concrete and energy absorption. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.