Experimental behaviour of fiber reinforced columns subjected to cyclic load

A part of a more comprehensive research project on seismic response of Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) structural elements and systems, this study investigates the influence of steel fiber reinforcement on behavior of precast concrete columns under seismic loading. Eleven full-scale axially loaded cantilever column were tested under reversed cyclic horizontal loading. To observe the influence of fiber properties, different types of fibers were adopted. Test results highlight the positive effect of fibers on the crack patterns by preventing the concrete cover to spall out at earlier stages. SFRC improves the structural stiffness, the strength and dissipated energy. In order to better understand the fiber effects, nonlinear FE analyses, based on nonlinear fracture mechanics, were carried out to simulate the column behavior