Shear Deformation of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Prestressed Concrete Beams

Steel fiber-reinforced prestressed concrete (SFRPSC) members typically have high shear strength and deformation capability, compared to conventional prestressed concrete (PSC) members, due to the resistance provided by steel fibers at the crack surface after the onset of diagonal cracking. In this study, shear tests were conducted on the SFRPSC members with the test variables of concrete compressive strength, fiber volume fraction, and prestressing force level. Their localized behavior around the critical shear cracks was measured by a non-contact image-based displacement measurement system, and thus their shear deformation was thoroughly investigated. The tested SFRPSC members showed higher shear strengths as the concrete compressive strength or the level of prestress increased, and their stiffnesses did not change significantly, even after diagonal cracking due to the resistance of steel fibers. As the level of prestress increased, the shear deformation was contributed by the crack opening displacement more than the slip displacement. In addition, the local displacements around the shear crack progressed toward directions that differ from those expected by the principal strain angles that can be typically obtained from the average strains of the concrete element. Thus, this localized deformation characteristics around the shear cracks should be considered when measuring the local deformation of concrete elements near discrete cracks or when calculating the local stresses.