Fracture behaviour of polypropylene-fibre-reinforced concrete: Modelling and computer simulation

The proportion of fracture energy which is consumed by fibres during fracturing in uniaxial and biaxial loading of a composite (matrix plus fibre) can be calculated by means of a modified model. By the method of variation of parameters, the calculated load/displacement curve is adapted to the measured load/displacement curve. The fibre component of the measured load/displacement curves ir obtained by subtracting the experimentally determined matrix component from the measured load/displacement curve of the composite material. By these parameters it is possible both to represent the load/displacement curve of every single fibre for each relative position, and to determine the change of the fracture energy with increasing compressive loading, sigma(1), of the specimens. (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited