Long term behavior of FRC flexural beams under sustained load

Early applications of Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) mainly concerned structural elements where the convenience of using short fibers was found in the possibility of substituting conventional reinforcement. However, FRC toughness can be conveniently introduced into the engineering practice with another perspective, to take advantage of the crack control for enhancing structural durability. In this context, the research study presented herein shows the results of an experimental campaign aimed at investigating the influence of short fibers (steel and polyester) on the short and long-term behavior of Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams. The experimental program includes crack width and flexural displacement measurements as well as chemical tests, which gave evidence of the effectiveness of polymeric and steel fibers in improving long-term serviceability of RC beams. The results presented in the paper show that flexural displacements, crack widths and carbonation depth were reduced by the fibers addiction.