Experimental, Analytical and Numerical Studies of Interfacial Bonding Properties between Silane-Coated Steel Fibres and Mortar

A systematic investigation of the effects of silane coatings on steel fibre–mortar interfacial bond properties was conducted, combining pullout tests, analytical solutions, and meso-scale FE simulations. Nine silane coatings were tested, and their effects were evaluated by 30 single fibre pullout tests. They were found to increase the peak force and energy consumption up to 5.75 times and 2.48 times, respectively. Closed-form analytical solutions for pullout load, displacement, and interfacial stress distribution during the whole pullout process were derived based on a tri-linear bond-slip model, whose parameters were calibrated against the pullout tests. Finally, the calibrated bond-slip models were used to simulate the pullout tests and complex failure of multi-fibre specimens in mesoscale finite element models. Such an approach of combining pullout tests, analytical solutions, and mesoscale modelling provides a reliable way to investigate the effects of fibre–mortar interfacial properties on the mechanical behaviour of steel fibre reinforced concrete members in terms of structural strength, stiffness, ductility, and failure mechanisms.

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