A Numerical Method to Study the Fiber Orientation and Distribution of Fiber-Reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete

Steel fiber-reinforced self-compacting concrete (SCFRC) has been developed in recent decades to overcome the weak tensile performance of traditional concretes. As the flexural strength of SCFRC is dependent on the distribution of steel fibers, a numerical model based on Jeffery's equation was developed in this study for investigating the effects of the concrete flow on the fiber orientation and distribution in SCFRC. This numerical method shows higher computational efficiency than available particle-based methods like SPH and LBM. The influence of casting parameters like casting method, formwork size and casting velocity on the fiber orientation is investigated from the perspective of the flow field of fresh concrete during casting. The simulation results show that the fiber orientation is largely dominated by the concrete flow during the casting process. Importantly, during casting SCFRC beam, fibers tend to be oriented in parallel along the longitudinal direction at the middle section, while they stick up at the end of the formwork due to the upward concrete flow. In addition, the results from parametric studies show that the formwork size and casting method could significantly affect the concrete flow during the casting process, ultimately the orientation of fibers in a SCFRC beam. Furthermore, it indicates that the casting speed needs to be carefully chosen in order to achieve the optimal fiber alignment.