Experimental Evaluation of Structural Performance of FRC Beams with Hooked Metal and Macro Polymer Fibers at Different Levels of Reinforcement Corrosion

Corrosion in reinforced concrete structures reduces the strength capacity and ductility of members and concrete elements. The use of fibers to improve mechanical properties of concrete has long been considered by engineers. In this study, an experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of macro-polymeric fibers and hooked metal fibers on corrosion-free, non-corrosive reinforced concrete beams. Two types of macro-polymeric fibers and hooked metal fibers with 0% and 0.5% volume percentages were tested at three levels of corrosion of 0%, 7% and 9%. An accelerated corrosion test was used from a 3% salt pool. Finally, the reinforced concrete beams were subjected to bending loading tests. Structural behavior of reinforced concrete beams in corrosion beams and non-corrosion beams and with fibers and non-fibers were evaluated and compared. Based on experimental results, corrosion reduces the ductility of the specimens and the use of metallic and polymeric fibers in non-corrosion and corrosion specimens of the first and second surfaces causes a two-fold increase in ductility. Macro polymer fibers are more effective in increasing the shape of the samples compared to the hook metal fibers in corrosion samples. Increasing the percentage of corrosion in non-fibrous specimens decreased the maximum resistance of the specimens, but in specimens with fibers, no significant change was observed in the bearing capacity of the samples with increasing corrosion percentage.