Shrinkage and Creep of Steel Fiber Reinforced Normal Strength Concrete

This paper deals with the results of laboratory research into the time-related development of shrinkage and creep in normal strength concrete that has been steel fiber reinforced with volumetric contents of up to 2.0 % of shorter (l = 16 mm) or longer (l = 30 mm) steel fibers. The experimental research refers to the respective effects of the length and volumetric content of such fibers, as well as to the effect of early water curing conditions on the shrinkage and creep of the composite concerned. The results of the measurement of the autogenous, drying, and total shrinkage and the creep of the tested composites, as well as those corresponding to comparable concrete without fibers, are presented in the paper. The results of the experimental research show that the total shrinkage of such composites is, in general, about 15 % less than that of the comparable plain concrete without fibers. The autogenous shrinkage of the composites was nearly the same, but the drying shrinkage was considerably less than in the case of the comparable plain concrete. However, the creep of these composites differed only minimally from that of the comparable plain concrete.