SFRC bending behaviour at high temperatures: An experimental investigation

Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) is increasingly considered as a profitable replacement for diffused reinforcement like welded steel mesh, especially for thin cross sections. In this case fire becomes a very important condition in the design. Previous experimental research showed the benefits in fire resistance of steel fibres when structural elements are bent. A more complete mechanical characterization of the material, when exposed to high temperature, is here presented. The research was instrumental to validate the fire design approach suggested in the recent Italian National Recommendations (CNR-DT 204/06) for design of fibre reinforced concrete structures. Particular attention is given to the reliability of a linear softening constitutive law proposed for uniaxial tension.