Numerical Study of the Shear Behavior of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete Beams

In the last decades, experimental and numerical studies on steel fiber -reinforced concrete have shown that providing suitable fiber content and distribution in the matrix can improve the post -cracking strength of concrete. Although there is a large database of experimental and finite element model shear tests of steel fiber -reinforced concrete beams, there are not profuse test data and finite element models available for steel fiber -reinforced concrete beams with traditional transverse shear reinforcement (stirrups). In this work, the shear behavior of ultra -high-performance fiber -reinforced concrete beams with three different types of reinforcement is analyzed. For this purpose, a comparative study has been previously carried outo validate the finite element model with conventional rebars. From the results, it was observed that the maximum shear load increased by 39% to 48% depending on the type of steel fibers used, with respect to concrete without fiber reinforcement. The length and number of fibers had a direct effect on crack initiation and propagation.