Dilatant Transverse Pull-Out Response of Hooked-End Steel Fiber from Concrete: Novel Test Method

Contrary to the extensive literature available on the axial pull-out behavior of individual steel fibers embedded in a cement-based matrix, including different fiber orientations, limited research has been performed which characterizes the transverse pull-out response. The Ohno-beam shear test method, which to the authors' knowledge has not yet been used to characterize the steel fiber transverse pull-out response, is adapted here for this purpose. Five fiber orientations and two fiber embedment lengths are investigated. Similar characteristic behavior is observed compared with work done by other authors using alternative experimental methods. However, differences are pointed out and ascribed to the different boundary conditions in the different test methods. The knowledge could be used to select the most representative test. The single-fiber shear responses at different orientations bring new insights in the mechanisms governing shear response. Optimized fiber orientations could be selected to improve structural performance of steel-fiber reinforced concrete.